The Mine Detection Dog (MDD) fleet of the Humanitarian De-Mining Unit (HDU) had received the 4-year old Belgian Malinois from the US-based Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) for its mine clearing work, the Army said.

Born in Bosnia on 15 May 2015, the Belgian Malinois named 'Nam' has been serving in mine-infested northern Iraq as a member of the MDD team before she was brought down to Sri Lanka with the international MDD trainer, Adis Pelto, multiplying the Army’s MDD fleet to eight dogs.

Upon completion of basic quarantine procedures, the international MDD trainer in Sri Lanka subjected her to ‘obedience and orientation’ training inside the Boo Oya Engineer Brigade Headquarters in the company of an army dog handler before she was declared acclimatised to perform her duties.

A ceremony to hand over Nam officially to the HDU took place a few days ago at Boo Oya Engineer Brigade Headquarters. Brigadier A. N Amarasekera, Commander of the Engineer Brigade of the Army received the dog from the MDD trainer, Adis Pelto after exchanging respective documents.

Meanwhile, the Army said a total of 25.61 sq km land area was yet to be cleared by the Humanitarian De-Mining Unit (HDU) of the Army, according to the engineer brigade. “The Army de-miners are currently conducting de-mining work in the general mine-fields of the country,” the rmy said..(Darshana Sanjeewa)