BEIRUT: Local communities in Batroun are the latest to be demined as part of a project funded by an ongoing donation from the European Union.

The $7 million program is implemented by Handicap International and is supervised by the Lebanon Mine Action Center of the Lebanese Army, which coordinates all demining activities in the country.

Since the operation started in January of this year, Handicap International has cleared 11,450 square meters of contaminated land and has removed 12 dangerous items from the Batroun region.

The EU has allocated $18 million to mine clearance operations across Lebanon since 2006.