US Demining group arrives in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 15:17 GMT]
A group from the US State Department’s Quick Reaction Demining Force (QRDF), headed by demining advisor Mr. Don Smith of the US, and consisting of twenty-two demining technicians from the Republic of Mozambique and four mine-sniffing dogs, arrived in Jaffna Thursday to continue demining in the Sarasalai area in Jaffna, sources said.

Mr. Smith said that the group would start the demining on March 30 for mines, booby traps and unexploded ordinances. He said that the group’s aim is to demine the area completely to enable people to move around freely. Once this humanitarian service in Sarasalai is completed, the group plans to assess the demining needs of other areas and take action accordingly, according to Mr. Smith.

Previously, another group from the QRDF worked in the area from April to September 2002. The QRDF personnel are contracted by the US State Department through a demining consulting corporation in the US.