On Wednesday, Project Masam carried out a controlled demolition operation involving 6,021 mines, munitions and other explosive remnants of war in the Bab al-Mandab area of Taiz Governorate, western Yemen.
The controlled destruction of recovered explosive ordnance is an important part of the clearance process. Once landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other munitions have been located and removed from contaminated areas, their disposal ensures they can no longer pose a threat to civilians or be recovered, moved or repurposed for use in IEDs. Consolidated demolition operations also allow explosive ordnance collected during clearance activities to be permanently disposed of under controlled conditions.
The items destroyed included 98 assorted shells, 2,778 rounds of ammunition, 16 anti-personnel mines, 34 anti-tank mines, 64 hand grenades, four Katyusha rockets, 17 IEDs, 2,982 assorted fuzes, 12 armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds and 16 RPG warheads.
Engineer Adeeb Rajab, leader of Project Masam’s Special Task Team 2, said the explosive ordnance had been collected by teams from different areas along Yemen’s West Coast.
He said its safe destruction removes explosive hazards that could otherwise continue to threaten civilians, particularly children, farmers and herders living and working in affected communities.
Rajab added that Project Masam’s continuing clearance and demolition operations are helping communities regain safe access to their land and enabling residents to resume their daily lives.
