As part of the construction work on the Eastern Border Security Barrier, led by the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Security Fence and Border Administration, the Israel National Mine Action Authority (INMAA) conducted a controlled detonation of three minefields.
A total of approximately 500 old anti-tank mines, which had been laid in the area since the late 1960s, were destroyed.
The clearance and destruction of the mines complement the construction work being carried out on the ground by the Ministry’s Security Fence and Border Administration and its Department of Engineering and Construction, as well as the IDF’s Central Command.
The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately USD 1.7 billion (NIS 5.5 billion), and it includes the establishment of a multi-layered system along approximately 500 kilometers of Israel’s eastern border.
"The plan to strengthen national security and strategic presence along the Eastern Border is a central component of the Ministry’s strategy, being advanced by Defense Minister Israel Katz together with IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram," a Ministry statement stressed. "This effort is integrated into a renewed security concept formulated by the IDF and Central Command, which includes the establishment of a new division responsible for the area’s security."