*Qasr-e Shirin – Explosion of a landmine, remaining from 1980-88 Iran-Iraqwar in Sarpol-e Zahab, western Iran, injured two people, a militaryofficial said on Sunday.*

An excavator hit a military mine and two people were injured after theexplosion, Police Commander of Sarpol-e Zahab Colonel Mohammad Reza Yaritold the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The rescue team were immediately dispatched to accident site andtransferred the two injured people to hospital, he said.

The excavator driver is not in good health conditions, he added.

During the war imposed by Iraq on Iran, 16 million landmines were plantedin over 4,200,000 hectare of lands in the Iranian provinces bordering Iraqby the army of the former Ba’athist regime.

Despite the fact that landmine areas have been cleared, explosions of minesand other explosive devices remaining from the war often cause death andinjuries.