Project Masam has destroyed 4,271 landmines and explosive remnants of war in the Dufs area of Abyan Governorate on Thursday (6 August), following the completion of all required technical procedures for the demolition operation.
The destroyed items included 237 assorted shells, 3,415 rounds of assorted ammunition, 29 anti-personnel mines, 10 anti-tank mines, 22 hand grenades, two rockets, 11 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 212 armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds, 16 boxes of damaged propellant charges, two explosive barrels and 315 assorted fuzes.
Munther Ahmed Qasim, Leader of Project Masam’s Special Task Team (STT) 1, said in a statement issued by the project’s media office that the explosive hazards had been collected over the past month during field operations in the governorates of Aden, Lahj and Abyan, following notifications received from citizens and local authorities. He added that the team remains committed to responding immediately to all reports concerning explosive ordnance and other explosive remnants of war.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist explained that, last week, the team received a report from the management of a solar power station in the Bir Ahmed area of Aden Governorate after a shell and an item of unexploded ordnance (UXO) were discovered near the facility. Acting on instructions from Project Masam’s Operations Room, the team was immediately deployed to secure the site, recover the explosive hazards and transport them for destruction during Thursday’s bulk demolition operation in Dufs.
The team also responded to a notification from the local authorities in Khor Maksar District, Aden Governorate, following the discovery of explosive remnants of war and an improvised explosive device (IED) in a populated area, Qasim added. The items were safely recovered, secured and transported for destruction during the same demolition operation, eliminating the threat to nearby residents.
Munther noted that the team operates around the clock to receive and respond to reports from civilians and local authorities. He thanked those who continue to report suspected explosive hazards, noting that timely reporting enables the team to remove dangerous items safely before they can cause further civilian casualties.
He added that the team’s work forms part of Project Masam’s broader humanitarian mission to reduce the risks posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war, protect civilians and support safer communities across Yemen.
