ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Special Peshmerga bomb disposal teams in Shingal said Saturday that all roads and major streets leading and out of the town are clear of explosives, but warned civilians about entering any homes.
A bomb disposal expert told Rudaw that the Islamic State (ISIS) militants had planted multiple types of bombs and explosives in Shingal.
“Some of the bombs were placed inside barrels, some inside water tanks and other inside oil jerrycans,” he said.
Some of the bombs are packed with nails and spikes, said the Peshmerga bomb disposal engineer.
The expert team arrived in Shingal at the same time as Kurdish ground troops recaptured the town from the ISIS militants in an offensive that lasted just two days.
The Yezidi residents of Shingal may start to return to their homes soon, but the bomb experts caution them about entering their homes in haste, arguing that it might take a while to clear all explosives.
“Cleaning Shingal from mines is not an easy task because it is a big town,” said one bomb disposal engineer.
