Project Masam’s Managing Director Ousama Algosaibi has condemned the manufacturing, use and planting of newly found anti-tank landmines he described as “bigger than ever seen before” in Yemen’s central energy-rich Shabwah Governorate.
Shabwah province has been a central frontline in the conflict between Houthi militias and pro-government forces and have been littered with landmines and other remnants of war.
In a worrying trend, Masam’s demining teams operating in the area have confirmed the discovery of a new type of anti-tank landmine, which construction methods and workmanship may be signalling a change of tactics in landmine warfare efforts from Houthi militias.
“Not satisfied with the craftsmanship in manufacturing and planting mines and camouflaging them in every inch they reached, the militias are now also manufacturing new mines of larger sizes to increase the area of destruction and harm the largest possible number of innocent people. These are newer and we have never seen any of this size before. It is extremely worrying,” Algosaibi said on 11 January 2022.
Masam is currently working on a technical assessment of the newly-found landmines in the districts of Usailan and Bayhan.
Project Masam currently have six teams operating in Shabwah – Teams 4, 5, 10, 12, 15 and 16. Last week alone (01 – 07 January 2022), Team 5 located and removed 111 anti-tank mines, 105 anti-personnel mines and a total of 12 improvised explosive devices.
