It has been reported that RELYANT LLC, a Tennessee firm providing strategic support services, won a contract to help with mine clearance and unexploded ordnance disposal in Afghanistan.

The company expects to hire 200 additional people to work in Afghanistan and at its headquarters as a result of the award, which is worth $49 million.

According to it, the contract has two 1-year renewal option periods following the initial 1-year base period.

There are more than 10 million land mines and other explosive items littering Afghanistan, many of them from the period of Soviet occupation in the 1980s and the guerrilla war against the Soviets, The United Nations has said.

The company said, "RELYANT's work under this contract will provide a safer environment for all stakeholders in the ongoing efforts to stabilize and rebuild the country."

Other RELYANT services in Afghanistan include insulating troops housing on bases, escorting third-country nationals, life-support services for troops, convoy and secure trucking of supplies and vehicle maintenance. (With Inputs from Agencies)