[Quqnoos] The Taliban have planted improvised mines in southern Afghanistan, posing a serious threat to civilians, ICRC said on Sunday. The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement said the bombs have made "it almost impossible for people to evacuate the sick and wounded" from the town of Marjah in Helmand province. "Improvised mines and other explosive devices are posing a deadly threat to civilians in Marjah," said Reto Stocker, the head of the ICRC delegation in Kabul.
The improvised explosive devices have prevented a return of the local people who fled their homes ahead of Marjah offensive, now it's forth week, the statement noted.
Thousands of people fled Marjah and have sought shelter elsewhere in Helmand province to avoid being caught up in the fighting against the Taliban.
The offensive, dubbed as Moshtarak, a Dari word for together, involves 15,000 NATO and Afghan forces to eradicate the Taliban militants from their strongholds in Marjah and Nad Ali districts.
As neither patients nor medical staff have been able to move about safely within the area of Marjah, health care services continue to be interrupted, the statement added.
In the early days of the operation, the Afghan Defence Minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak, said improvised explosives devices have slowed down the progress in NATO's biggest offensive in the country.
The ICRC deemed the widespread use of improvised mines in Marjah as against to the most basic principles of international humanitarian law.