al-Sistani

With ISIS Defeated, An Iraqi Militia Turns to Mine Clearing and Social Work

For the people of Basra, unexploded ordnances and long-forgotten mines have been an ongoing concern; the explosives were left over from historical conflicts, such as the war between Iraq and Iran. Recently they have been getting help from a slightly unexpected quarter: Fighters from one of the country’s often-controversial Shiite Muslim militias have been out on Shalamcheh road, along the Shatt al-Arab estuary, with minesweepers trying to clean up the left-over explosives.