Algeria says removes over eight mln anti-personnel mines left by France

ALGIERS, April 2 (KUNA) -- Algerian Defense Ministry said Saturday it removed more than eight million anti-personnel mines at border areas, out of around 11 million left by the French forces during the colonial era.
Lt. Colonel Adami Mohammad told a news conference uprooting anti-personnel mines was taking place in a good pace, removing more than five million in western borders and over two million in eastern borders.
He said special forces were combing vast areas to locate the mines.
French forces planted more than 11 million mines during the 1954-1962 liberation movement in order to prevent the infiltration of Algerian revolutionaries from neighboring Tunisia and Morocco. France occupied Algeria in 1830-1962. (end) ft.bs