The leader of Project Masam’s demining Team 9 has announced his team has removed 58 banned anti-personnel landmines in the Al-Safra area of the Osilan directorate of Shabwah Governorate in Yemen.
The team is currently working in Field 1 in the mountainous Khurm al-Tha’aleb area, which is densely planted with landmines. These explosive devices continue to pose a major threat to the lives of Yemeni civilians, specifically shepherds who roam these areas in search of pasture for their herds.
The team leader also added that the team has removed 58 anti-personnel mines and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), noting that this field, which area is estimated at 57,218 sqm, has been laid with a huge number of landmines, and that only 12,750 sqm of it have been cleared so far.
Team 9 adopts professional standards with regards to its demining activities and follows international safety measures within the framework of its humanitarian landmine clearance mission in Yemen, the team leader explained.
He also said that his team is making great efforts to educate civilians about the dangers of mines – especially those who are used to grazing in Al-Safra’s hill flanks.
The team continues to teach and remind civilians about the dangers of approaching suspicious and known landmine-contaminated areas, and calls on them to abide by the warning and marking signs as well as keep both themselves and their herds away until the entire area is completely cleared of them and declared free of mines.
