I can't help but feel paranoid about every step I take

SPECIAL REPORT: NICOLE WOOTTON-CANE DESCRIBES THE TERROR OF WALKING ACROSS A MINEFIELD IN IRAQ

IN THE sloping mountains of the Amedi district of Iraqi Kurdistan, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon heaven on earth.

Even in the blazing sun, leafy trees mark the theatrical inclines of the valleys that give this spot its striking views. But all is not as it seems here. It may look like paradise, but hidden under the surface are dozens of deadly landmines.

It is against this stunning backdrop that I find myself, at just after nine on a Tuesday morning, preparing to walk through an active minefield.

I’ve travelled to Kurdish Iraq with Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a Manchester-based charity who find and destroy landmines in places affected by conflict. I’m here to see their lifesaving work up close, and why it is important even decades after conflict has ended.

MAG has been working in Iraq since 1992, but in one of the most highly contaminated places on earth, there are still decades to go before the country is completely safe.

I’m kitted out in full protective gear – a thick body armour vest, visor, and helmet; the same outfit that MAG’s skilled deminers wear while on the field. It’s hot – even this early in the morning I can feel myself starting to sweat underneath the heavy fabric.