06 January 2025
From Battlefield to Sanctuary: Reviving Hassan-Beg Mountain for Agriculture and Tourism once devastated by the eight-year Iran-Iraq War
U.S. State Department (PM/WRA) funding helps revive a Kurdish Mountain, once devastated by landmines during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.
Introduction
Hassan Beg Mountain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has long been more than just a geographical landmark. For generations, its slopes provided livelihood for villages like Kuna Masi, where farmers cultivated its fertile soil, shepherds grazed their flocks, and families gathered wild herbs for traditional medicine. But when the Iran-Iraq War erupted in 1980, this peaceful mountain became a strategic battleground.
After eight years of conflict, the war left behind a deadly legacy: thousands of unexploded bombs, shells, and landmines scattered invisible beneath the soil. What was once a source of life became a cause of devastation, as accidents claimed both human and animal lives, forcing local communities to abandon much of their ancestral land.
The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) was one of the 20th century's longest conventional wars, turning the mountainous border regions into heavily militarized zones. Hassan Beg Mountain's strategic location along potential invasion routes made it a key defensive position, leading to intense artillery bombardment and the laying of extensive minefields. When the war ended in 1988, these remote mountainous areas, critical for local agriculture and pastoralism, were left severely contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Military records from the period indicate that both armies used a wide range of munitions – from anti-personnel mines to artillery shells – many of which failed to detonate on impact. For the communities around Hassan Beg Mountain, this meant that every step into their traditional farming and grazing lands carried the risk of triggering these dormant explosives.
Photo: View of the Hassan-Beg Mountain. Credit: ©iMMAP Inc.
Clearance Operation
In February 2022, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs - Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) initiated a systematic clearance operation on Hassan Beg Mountain through the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). The task covered 495,000 square meters of contaminated land – an area larger than the entire village of Kuna Masi itself. MAG's technical teams employed a combination of visual inspection, metal detectors, and specialized equipment to safely identify and remove explosive hazards. Through meticulous work conducted under international mine action standards, the teams located and destroyed more than 500 pieces of explosive ordnance, including artillery shells, mortars, and various types of landmines.
Throughout the operation, iMMAP Inc. Iraq provided crucial third-party monitoring services, ensuring quality assurance and documenting the project's progress and impact. This independent verification helped maintain high operational standards while measuring the real benefits for local communities. As each section was cleared and verified, life began returning to Hassan Beg Mountain. Farmers started planning their return to abandoned fields, while local leaders initiated discussions about tourism development, marking a new chapter in the community's long relationship with their mountain.
Renewed Promise
For Kawa Salih Abdulrahman and his family, who have owned parcels of Hassan Beg Mountain's slopes since before the Iran-Iraq War, the land carries both painful memories and a renewed promise. During the 1980s, their fertile plots which once yielded abundant wheat and barley became a dangerous maze of unexploded ordnance.
This contamination kept visitors from enjoying the beautiful scenery and spending time here,” he recalls, his words echoing the decades of loss endured by local landowners. The mountain's transformation from farmland to battlefield had devastating consequences.
Many accidents occurred on the land,” he notes, referring to incidents that claimed both human and animal lives – including the loss of several sheep from his own herd in the late 1990s.
"After MAG teams cleaned the area, there were no further incidents, and we are now able to use the land again for agriculture, grazing, and as a picnic area for tourists during the spring and summer season.”
Photo left: Kawa Salih Abdulrahman, whose family has farmed Hassan-Beg Mountain for generations. Credit: ©iMMAP Inc.
His words capture the dramatic transformation: what was once a no-go zone is now gradually returning to its traditional role as both a productive resource for local communities and a destination for visitors seeking to experience the mountain's natural beauty.
Catalyst for Improvement
While landowners like Kawa witness the transformation at ground level, local officials are already envisioning broader opportunities for regional development. Mohammed Sheikh Abdullah, Gapilon Sub-district Manager, sees the clearance operation as a catalyst for significant infrastructure improvements.
Photo: Mohammed Sheikh Abdullah – Subdistrict Manager. Credit: ©iMMAP Inc.
The clearance of this land has significantly improved safety while providing agricultural and tourism benefits for both locals and visitors from other regions. We no longer fear tourists falling victim to EO, as the area is now cleared of contamination.
The government plans to build a dam that will not only serve as a tourist attraction but also prevent flooding of nearby buildings during the spring. This infrastructure project, made possible by the comprehensive clearance operation, represents the first major public investment in the area since before the Iran-Iraq War, signalling a new chapter in the region's development."
A Model for Healing
Today, Hassan Beg Mountain demonstrates how international collaboration in humanitarian mine action achieves more than just clearing explosive hazards. As wildlife returns and vegetation flourishes on the cleared slopes, this transformation represents a powerful convergence of international support, technical expertise, and local knowledge. The mountain's revival offers a model for healing both landscapes and communities across Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
At the time of the field visit the land was not in use. The TPM team will revisit this land during Winter and Spring to demonstrate its usage. All interviews were conducted courtesy of iMMAP Inc. through its Third-Party Monitoring of PM/WRA implementing partners’ humanitarian mine action operations in Iraq.
Project Overview - Humanitarian Mine Action: Third Party Monitoring
The Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) program in Iraq has received assistance from the US Department of State’s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA). iMMAP Inc., as WRA Third Party Monitoring partner, monitors and verifies USA-funded Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) activities in the country. By collecting and analyzing field data at regularly scheduled intervals, iMMAP Inc. provides WRA with a realistic picture of the program's progress, compliance with standard operating procedures and immediate outcomes of activities.