Russian defense min. destroys 1,500 explosives in Deir ez-Zor

MOSCOW - 29 September 2017: Russian defense ministry said on Friday that sappers have started destroying explosives in Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor.

Russian military officials estimate that specialists will have to clear up to 1,500 hectares of land from explosives in Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas, the ministry noted.

In a statement, the ministry announced that detachment from the International Mine Action Center of the Russian Armed Forces had cleared the streets that lead to vital city social infrastructure, hospitals, water supply, and electricity facilities, Russia Today channel reported.

Engineering reconnaissance and mine clearance teams are working on clearing roads and adjacent buildings at entrances to the city and its outskirts to ensure the safety of humanitarian convoys sent to it, the statement read.

A group of 170 mine clearance specialists were sent to the Syrian city and the sappers divided into 10 groups to check planted mines in the area, the statement stated.

The team of experts was provided with 40 units of special engineering equipment including a multi-functional robotic unit that can carry out a controlled explosion of the detected devices or just destroy the explosives on its way, the statement further said.

Teams, have so far, discovered and destroyed around 1,500 explosive items, including roughly 100 homemade and improvised devices.

As well, they checked and cleared eight kilometers of roads, eight buildings and about three hectares of the surrounding terrain.

The Russian defense ministry has announced earlier in the month that it is wiling to send experts along with latest technological equipment shortly after the army lifted the blockade of Deir ez-Zo to clear mines that have been planted in it by Daesh terrorist group.