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Landmines aren’t the only danger is areas that have endured conflict.
Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, are one of, if not the most dangerous kind of device that can be encountered by civilians and clearance personnel alike.
Like landmines, IEDs can be designed to function as anti-personnel weapons.
In addition, larger IEDs can be designed to be used against vehicles, or even structures.
One aspect of IED clearance that makes it so dangerous is that because IEDs can be so varied – in structure, in mechanism of action – almost every IED clearance operation is functionally different.
Things such as likely intended targets and the surrounding environment have to be considered.
A particularly notorious type of IED is what is referred to as a booby trap.
A booby trap is a device designed to cause harm when an otherwise innocuous-looking object is moved, or an otherwise innocent action is performed.
For example, an explosive charge concealed under a football wouldn’t appear out of place in a field used for the sport, and preys upon the reflex that most people would have when seeing it – to kick it.
Countless similar examples of IEDs and booby traps used by the Houthi militias in Yemen have disrupted, if not outright shattered, the daily lives of Yemeni civilians.
One of most frequent types encountered in Yemen are made by hand to resemble rocks, that detonate upon being disturbed. In the many mountainous regions of Yemen, they pose a massive risk.
However, there are steps that the average person can take to minimize the risk of coming into contact with an IED.
Basic principles of mine risk awareness apply, such as remaining in cleared areas and avoiding areas known to have been mined.
Having someone to contact in case an unusual object is discovered, and never, ever interacting with it in any way.
There are also signs more specific to IEDs that can be watched for, for instance, unusual odors, desirable objects in unusual locations, or an unusual absence of people in an otherwise oft-frequented area.
As far as locations are concerned, some areas are more at-risk than others for a variety of reasons.
For example, IEDs are often placed in natural or artificial bottlenecks in order to maximize the amount of damage they cause.
Larger IEDs may be placed on paths or roadways known to be used by their intended targets.
That said, that leads to the crux of why IEDs, booby traps, landmines, and other kinds of ordnance are so dangerous – they are indiscriminate.
They can be triggered by people other than their intended targets, be they military or civilian, men, women, or children.