Engineering and sapper troops from Kazakhstan serving with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights cleared more than 1,200 pieces of unexploded ordnance from the start of their mission in April 2025 through late January 2026.
Kazakh peacekeepers conducted 44 clearing operations in addition to searches, minefield reconnaissance and technical inspections, the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan reported.
The unexploded ordnance consisted mostly of tank and artillery shells, mines, drone warheads and improvised explosive devices, Maj. Ernar Amantayuly of Kazakhstan’s Center for Peacekeeping Operations in Almaty said.
The previous Kazakh peacekeeping rotation cleared more than 500 pieces of ordnance. Almost all of the munitions were remnants of earlier conflicts that remained near populated areas.
In addition to mine clearing and ordnance disposal, Kazakh peacekeepers conduct mobile patrols and medical evacuations. Before deployment, Soldiers undergo extensive specialized training at the Center for Peacekeeping Operations.
In February 2026, a new contingent of Kazakh peacekeepers completed training for deployment to the Golan Heights with the UNDOF.
Lt. Col. Ilyas Almatov, commander of the third rotation, told Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Dauren Kosanov that his troops were prepared to carry out their mission and that he was honored to be entrusted with such a serious responsibility.
Sources: The Astana Times, Kazinform International News Agency, Caspian News