SHINGAL, Kurdistan Region – When the Islamic State (ISIS) was driven out of Shingal following intense pounding by Coalition airplanes and Kurdish forces, it left behind a city more than half-destroyed; mines and booby traps lay in wait for the Peshmerga that took the city on Friday.
Since then, Soro Waisi Ali, a 77-year landmine defusing engineer, has been working with his team and supported by Americans, British and French experts to clean up the explosives buried everywhere by the militants.
“We have so far cleared up 13 kilometers inside the city and defused more than 1,600 TNT explosives, more than two hundred landmines and thousands more devices,” said Ali, who was trained by American de-miners.
“Our focus has been on the main roads and streets but we have also cleaned up a number of buildings, which used to be government facilities that were turned to military bases by Daesh,” he added, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Ali said the process of cleaning up the city is the biggest challenge facing the Peshmerga forces and ground troops.
“A huge number of people are now at risk. The booby-trapped city of Shingal is where the battle is,” he said. He also added that homemade ISIS bombs are sometimes very confusing and easily mistaken as something harmless.
According to recent data by Landmine Monitor, an affiliate of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), up to 1,838 sq km of Iraqi territory is contaminated by landmines and explosives.
The victorious Peshmerga that marched into the city after a two-day offensive said that the militants had already fled, leaving behind booby traps and landmines meant for the Peshmerga.
Hoshiar Haji Tayeb, 42, was pleased to be a part of history, leading a regiment of 100 Peshmerga forces into the Kurdish-Yezidi city.
“When we walked into the city we were unsure if there were still Daesh gunmen inside the city,” recounted Tayeb, who is originally from the Kurdish city of Akre and was on duty in Mount Shingal for the past five months.
“The day of the Shingal operation was a historic day and for me it was an honor to be part of that history,” he told Rudaw.
ISIS overran the Shingal district in August last year, forcing thousands of Yezidi Kurds to flee to the mountains. Hundreds of Yezidis were killed and thousands more taken into captivity, mostly women and young girls.
Peshmerga commander Brig. Gen. Ezadeen Saddo told Rudaw in Shingal that US-led warplanes began bombing ISIS in the city last Wednesday, killing many militants and forcing them to beat a retreat out of Shingal.
“Our forces didn’t see any Daesh gunmen while traveling around the city, but TNT and landmines were everywhere,” said Tayeb, whose regiment arrived in the city at 9 am and stayed until early evening.
Tayeb said the two-day operation to liberate Shingal would have been difficult without air support by the United States and allies. “The airstrikes were a great help,” he said.
He said that, although most ISIS fighters had fled the city before the Peshmerga entered, an unknown number had remained trapped.
Tayeb, who was monitoring ISIS communications through walkie talkies, said he heard militants communicating among themselves.
“I heard Daesh gunman inside the city complaining to their people, saying ‘why did you leave us behind and what should we do now.’ In response, one guy who was trying to calm his trapped comrades, told them, ‘don’t be afraid, be brave and God willing we will come back to the city,’” said Tayeb.
Several militants were found hiding at a military base the day after liberation in Shingal. They were killed by the Peshmerga in a direct assault. Three of the militants were suicide bombers who blew themselves up, but without inflicting casualties.
According to Tayeb, explosive devices are now the biggest challenge for Peshmerga forces in Shingal.
“TNT has no mercy and it gives you no chance for mistakes,” he warned.
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