Sri Lanka Army defuses 290,000 unexploded ordnance

 Military spokesman Brigadier U.A.P.Medawela told media that the Army had defused 290,000 unexploded ordnance that were left behind by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).



This cache of unexploded ordnance has been found in 1,744 square kilometers of land in Northern and Eastern Provinces.

At least eight non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are assisting the Sri Lanka Army in demining operations. Sri Lanka Army has deployed 1,050 Army personnel to expedite the demining process while over 2,000 de-miners from NGOs are also involved in the process.
According to the Economic Development Ministry the government had spent Rs 2.18 billion last year to clear landmines in the war-torn North and East.

Since 2009, 29 flail machines have been imported from Slovakia and Croatia to use for clearing the landmines to accelerate resettlement of people driven out of the area during the height of fighting.
Around 113 square kilometers of land area have been cleared of land mines
The number of unexploded ordnance in the former war torn areas of Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka is not estimated.