Turkiye's Underwater Defense teams neutralizing mine found off coast of Igneada

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye's Underwater Defense teams are neutralizing a mine found off the coast of Igneada close to the Bulgarian maritime border, the National Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"... in the morning hours, a mine was detected in the Igneada offshore, close to the Bulgarian maritime border, and the Underwater Defense (SAS) Teams in the region were swiftly transferred to the incident site," the ministry said on Twitter.

"The mine in question was secured by the SAS teams and an intervention has been initiated to neutralize it," it added.

On Saturday, Turkiye reopened the Bosphorus, or Istanbul Strait, to ships after briefly closing it due to another suspected mine.

SAS teams examined the object and found it to be an old mine and neutralized it, said National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Commenting on rumors that underwater mines laid by Ukraine to deter Russian attacks in the ongoing war might drift across the Black Sea, Akar said both the Russian and Ukrainian sides had been notified and that coordination is ongoing.