Engineering forces will begin this week to work on removing landmines near the city of Eila as part of a mine clearance program to expand settlements in the Arava region. Additionally the Faran area was declared a mine-free zone.

Southern Commander, Major-General Yoav Gallant, decided that landmines in the Arava region will be removed.

An engineering force of the 80th “Edom” Division has begun recently to destroy a number of landmines around the Arava region, for the expansion of settlements in the area. Accordingly, among other things, the area near the Faran settlement was recently checked due to suspicion of mines. After the engineering force inspected the area it was declared a mine-free zone.

Simultaneously, they will begin this week to remove landmines in the areas around Eilat, in order to expand the Shachamon neighborhood in the city. In the coming week they will also begin working in the Ein Tamar area. “We are working vigorously to remove these risks, it is our top priority,” explained commander of the Engineering Southern Command, Colonel Ilan Sabag.

Landmines in the Arava area are mostly anti-personnel mines, which were previously placed by IDF forces, and a portion of them were swept to the Arava region.

“We want to create continuation of settlements in this area and the situation of the settlements in Arava is not ideal and we want to help,” explained a commander in the division. Following the process, the Southern Command is now examining the acquisition of new operating methods that the engineering forces can use to clear minefield zones.

Combat soldier of Yahalom (also known as the Special Operation Engineering Unit) began to collect evidence from residents, and based on their documents and maps, they crosschecked information on the locations of landmines in the area. In addition, the combat soldiers sat through professional lectures on geology, in order to asses where the mines which were washed away and moved from their recorded location were located.

“Since we started the process we’ve heard a lot of positive feedback on the project and the residents seem very satisfied,” explained Major Eran Eitan, engineering officer in the Edom Division.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / IDF Spokesman)