Nepal is now landmine-free after the last of its landmines was detonated Tuesday.

United Nations spokesman John Brittain said Nepal's Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal detonated the last of the 53 minefields located at an army base to protect the main civil aviation radio tower near Katmandu Valley.

"Today is a historic day because Nepal has been liberated from all kinds of landmines," Khanal said.

The UK government lauded Nepal for becoming a land mine-free country. UK has contributed over £5 million for demining activities in Nepal over several years.

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister Jeremy Browne said. "I congratulate Nepal on this remarkable achievement, and pay tribute to the brave work of the demining personnel. I now urge the government to build on this success by joining the Ottawa Convention to ensure that these weapons never again blight Nepali soil and the lives of its people."

Nepal is the second country in Asia after China to be minefield free according to the UN.

Soldiers of the Nepal Army began clearing the mines in 2007 assisted by the UN Mine Action Team after Maoist rebels signed a peace deal and abandoned their armed revolt..

The Nepal Army laid 53 minefields during the 10-year insurgency, which began in 1996, around army barracks and physical infrastructure like telecommunication towers and hydropower plants.

The then-Maoist rebels had fought to end centuries-old monarchy. The insurgency resulted to the death of more than 13,000 people. The landmines killed four people and wounded 19 others.

Nepal became a republic after the 2008 elections, where the Maoist rebels participated after signing a peace pact in 2006.

More than 19,000 Maoist combatants are still living in camps across Nepal waiting for the Maoists and other political parties to decide for their future as part of Nepal's peace process.