A total of 4,806 mines dating from the colonial period were discovered and destroyed by the Algerian national army along the eastern and western borders of the country in September 2013. The Defence ministry said in a statement that units by the People\'s National Army (ANP) took part of the mine-clearance operations, including 660 antipersonnel mines. In the same period, the military discovered and destroyed 24 antipersonnel mines. The amount of mines discovered dates back to the French colonial period and during Algerian independence in 1954. More than 11 million mines were destroyed between 1954 and 1962.