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By Libya Herald reporters.
Tunis, 2 November 2017:
The UK has supplied $4 million of explosives-handling equipment for use in Sirte and by the US firm that has been engaged to help clear unexploded ordnance from the town.
British ambassador Peter Millet said:“This equipment is a tangible sign of the UK’s commitment to helping the people of Sirte, Benghazi, and other areas rebuild their lives after the defeat of Daesh”.
The embassy did not respond to an enquiry as to what equipment was to be delivered to Benghazi. Military engineers in the city have long complained they lack sufficient kit to tackle the extensive explosives left behind in former combat areas.
The equipment handed over in Misrata by British military attaché Colonel Dougie Hay, included six-wheeled remote-controlled vehicles, similar to the US Med-Eng Defender robots. These have cameras and prehensile arms able to manipulate dangerous items without risk to the operators. The consignment also comprised body armour and other devices used in de-mining and the defusing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The British embassy said the apparatus it has donated meant that multiple IED search and disposal teams could operate at the same time. It explained: “They will use the latest procedures and disposal methods to safely defeat explosive hazards remaining in Sirte and other areas of Libya”.
The US firm JANUS, which operates globally, not least currently in Iraq, has also been charged with training Libyan operators on the new equipment
