Fifteen Iraqi police officers successfully complete IED Defeat course

Baghdad - The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Government of Japan and the Ministry of Interior in Iraq held a certification ceremony for fifteen Iraqi police officers who have successfully completed the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) Defeat Course (basic). This project is funded by a generous contribution from the Government of Japan and directly supports the development of national capacity to respond to explosive threats in recently retaken areas.

The four-week training course plus follow-up mentoring was held at Salman Pak Police EOD training centre. The specifically designed training course includes numerous practical scenario exercises with the aim of building the confidence of the students to mitigate the threat of explosive hazards including IEDs. Local police officers were selected from Al Anbar, Diyala, Ninawa and Salah Ad Din governorates.

Maj. Gen. Abdulkarim Hatim, Head of Training Department, Ministry of Interior, stated that “training courses in Iraq are contributing to the return of displaced families to their homes paving the way for necessary reconstruction and development projects.”

H.E. Mr. Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Iraq, said in his statement that “it must be a daunting task for us all to consolidate peace and stability in the liberated areas after the liberation of Mosul including the expected liberation of Western side in the coming period by the brave Iraqi Security Forces.” He added that “however, we hope that the liberation of Mosul gives us, especially for Iraqi people, a golden opportunity to strive as one not only for its reconstruction but also for national reconciliation.”

Mr. Pierre Lemelin, Senior Programme Manager, UNMAS Iraq, highlighted that “UNMAS has trained 45 participants since 2016 to enhance a national capacity to respond to and mitigate explosive hazard threats including IEDs in retaken areas.”