Interior Minister Davor Božinović announced Friday that Croatia is officially free of landmines. Thirty-one years after the end of the Homeland War, all known minefields have been cleared — a major milestone for the country.

The decades-long effort came at a heavy cost. Over three decades of painstaking and dangerous work, 208 people lost their lives, including 41 deminers. The total cost of clearing the country is estimated at around 1.2 billion euros.

“Croatia is free of land mines. After nearly 30 years, we have completed demining in accordance with the Ottawa Convention,” Božinović said during an event marking International Civil Protection Day in Zagreb.

He added, “Almost 107,000 mines and 407,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance have been removed. This is not just a technical success — it is the fulfillment of a moral obligation to the victims of mines and their families. A mine-free Croatia means safer families, better development of rural areas, more farmland, and stronger tourism.”