Israel Begins Clearing Thousands of Landmines from Jordan River Baptism Site

Melanie Lidman/News Staff : Mar 20, 2018
Timesofisrael.com

Israel mined the area along the Jordan River following the 1967 Six Day War in a bid to prevent Jordanian tanks and infantry, as well as Palestinian Fedayeen, guerrilla fighters and terrorists, from infiltrating into Israeli-held territory and attacking Israeli settlements.

(Israel)— [Timesofisrael.com] Work began this week to clear thousands of mines and other remnants of war from the Qasr al-Yahud Baptism Site on the Jordan River, the Defense Ministry said in a Tuesday. (Photo: A sapper working to clear mines from the area around the Qasr al-Yahud Baptism site on the Jordan River, March 2018/credit: Defense Ministry/via TimesofIsrael.com)

The Israel National Mine Action Authority, part of Israel's Defense Ministry, working together with the international mine-clearing charity HALO Trust, expects to uncover over 3,000 items in the area, the ministry said in a statement.

Christians believe that Qasr al-Yahud, located about 10 kilometers (some 6 miles) east of Jericho, is the spot...

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