In line with the data offered by official sources to the Cyprus Information Company (CNA), the mine clearance course of within the buffer zone has been accomplished. There are not any different minefields inside the buffer zone.
Greek official sources said that the locations the place the mines are situated are “locations that aren’t harmful and on the identical time essential to proceed their existence, and that when an settlement is reached on the clearance of mines, it’s not doable to clear all minefields; they identified that the settlement is to clear the minefields within the buffer zone.”
In line with official sources, the remaining mines had been anti-tank mines and had been wanted for protection functions in order that nobody may cross by the buffer zone. All these within the minefields and warehouses had been destroyed as a result of there was an obligation to take away anti-personnel mines inside the scope of the Ottowa Conference.
Official sources mentioned, “The Republic of Cyprus destroyed all anti-personnel mines. “If there are any left, these are mines belonging to the Turkish military, present in minefields or warehouses,” they mentioned.
In line with UNFICYP's truth sheet on mine clearance, it’s estimated that by 2024, greater than 7,000 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines stay within the floor throughout the island of Cyprus, affecting an space of two million sq. metres. In the course of the 1963/64 and 1974 incidents, each the Greek Cypriot Nationwide Guard Military and the Turkish Armed Forces laid mines in and out of doors the buffer zone.
Landmines don’t grow to be ineffective with age; Quite the opposite, it will probably grow to be extra unstable over time.
Since July 2016, UNMAS has grow to be an integral part of UNFICYP, offering particular experience in mine motion planning, coordination, mine clearance capability, high quality assurance monitoring and knowledge administration for mine motion info.
Between 2004 and 2011, 27,000 mines had been cleared from the buffer zone.
