Seven illegal immigrants who tried to cross a minefield into northern Greece are the latest victims of the hazardous people-smuggling route from Turkey into the European Union. Their mutilated bodies were found by Greek soldiers in the Evros region, close to the north-eastern border, in one of the most heavily mined strips of land on earth. A Greek army spokesperson said they heard an early-morning blast but arrived too late to save lives. “Soldiers responsible for clearing minefields arrived and found seven dismembered bodies.” The victims are thought to be from Pakistan. Less than a week ago, traditional rivals Greece and Turkey signed a United Nations pact outlawing the use of anti-personnel mines. No date has been set for dismantling the fields, a legacy of decades of tension between the countries that brought them close to war several times. Dozens of civilians lose their lives every year trying to cross the mined areas. The Athens branch of the international aid agency Doctors of the World called for the “immediate removal of land mines in the Evros region”. Full Story
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