Witness

The Deminer: Kurdish Iraq’s legendary bomb disposal expert

Fakhir Berwari was a bomb disposal expert who disarmed thousands of landmines across Iraq.

A father of eight and a Kurdish officer who served in Iraq’s armed forces is on a mission to disarm thousands of mines with just a pocket knife and a pair of wire clippers.

Between the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the chaos and destruction wreaked by ISIL more than a decade later, Fakhir Berwari’s unwavering bravery saved thousands of lives in Iraq.

The Deminer tells Fakhir’s story through raw and visceral amateur footage captured on a camcorder by his soldiers.