{"id":1894,"date":"2022-05-25T20:01:04","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T20:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectmasam.com\/v2\/?p=1894"},"modified":"2023-11-11T11:34:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T11:34:00","slug":"bounding-fragmentation-mines-an-investigation-into-yemens-indiscriminate-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/bounding-fragmentation-mines-an-investigation-into-yemens-indiscriminate-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Bounding fragmentation mines: An investigation into Yemen\u2019s indiscriminate war"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

A deep dive into bounding fragmentation mines. These banned deadly anti-personnel landmines that spray shrapnel at roughly waist height are now not only mass produced but \u2018super large\u2019 clones are now being discovered all over liberated areas of Yemen.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

On Friday 19 May 2022, a deminer present at humanitarian landmine clearance programme Masam picked up the phone. On the other end was a chief of local security forces in Osilan Directorate in Shabwah province \u2014 one of the central frontlines in Yemen\u2019s conflict between Houthi militias and pro-government forces.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The local chief was calling because he needed assistance with a possible improvised explosive device (IED) that had been spotted in his area of responsibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Masam\u2019s Team 9 was immediately dispatched to the area to coordinate with the security forces and help locate and remove the IED.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, after arriving at the location and clearing the suspected contaminated area, the deminers found not an IED as initially believed, but a bounding fragmentation mine that had been placed close to an access route leading to a village.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The bounding mine was connected to a remote initiation device, indicating that those who had placed it there wanted to target specific targets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Once the team successfully removed the mine, they continued with their technical survey of the area.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Bounding fragmentation mine discovered by Team 9 in Shabwah Governorate<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2018Soaring numbers\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Since the Yemeni civil war began in 2014, the country has been\u00a0awash with various types of landmines<\/a>, IEDs and other remnants of war (ERW).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But while bounding fragmentation mines aren\u2019t new \u2014 a small number of conventional anti-personnel (AP) bounding fragmentation mines from legacy Yemeni military stocks have been used by Houthi militants since at least 2014 \u2014 mine action experts say that\u00a0their use has soared<\/a>\u00a0over the last four years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWhile these types of legacy mines have been found since the beginning of the project [mid-2018], during the four years of the project, the bounding fragmentation mines numbers have increased over the years,\u201d Gus Maartens, Masam Project Manager, said from Aden.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

More recently, it is well-documented that the Houthis have been mass producing their own improvised bounding fragmentation devices. Project Masam first encountered them in March 2021, but by January 2022 these new threats had been discovered in all frontline regions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The recently liberated areas within the Governorates of Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Marib, Shabwah and Taiz \u2014 essentially all former Houthi held frontline territories \u2014 are today likely to be contaminated with large numbers of these threats, Masam warned in April 2022 during\u00a0a panel discussion<\/a>\u00a0held in London for Mine Awareness Day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Abdullah Abdul Jalil, Team Leader of Team 3, this week (14\u201320 May 2022) was called to clear a minefield located in Al-Hajfa region, Ain Directorate (Shabwah).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe field contained a variety of mines; all of them are victim-operated by infrared, wires and are locally manufactured anti-personnel mines,\u201d Jalil explained, adding that clearing this minefield is of utmost importance as it is connected to the main road between Harib and Ain Directorates, besides being very close to grazing and civilian areas.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cPrevious explosions occurred here where livestock detonated the mines, and civilians lost some of their livestock. Immediately, the team went down, surveyed the area, and identified the minefield, then we cleared the mines by detonating them.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Route Verification Task by Team 10 after larger variant of cloned bounding fragmentation devices with its radio-command receiver was found on a road<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

New locally produced landmines<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Civilians living near shifting frontlines have, in recent months, discovered tripwire-triggered versions of the bounding fragmentation mines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cOver the last six months in Marib Area of Operations, these types of mines were found on a daily basis especially up in the mountainous areas as they can be concealed away from paths with tripwires crossing the paths which would be set off by a person or an animal walking up the path,\u201d Maartens added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The conventional mines, and the Houthi clones, can be triggered by multiple means, including tripwires, but also by the plethora of improvised switches that are available.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cTo date, the Houthis have used pressure plate switches, tripwire mechanisms and radio command receivers as the triggers but it is likely that other trigger methods will be employed in the future,\u201d an IED Threat Officer, who wished to remain anonymous, explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And these landmines can cause a lot of damage when detonated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Indeed, their triggering mechanism causes a propelling charge within the bounding mine\/device to generate high-pressure propelling gases. These, in turn, force the fragmentation charge to jump out of the ground, prior to its detonation at around waist to chest height, projecting hundreds of high-velocity metal fragments omni-directionally around the killing area.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Large Bounding Fragmentation Mine with remote initiation found in a Houthi defense position<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Defensive landmines<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There is nothing specific about the emplacement of these types of mines that suggests the Houthis are deliberately targeting civilians with bounding fragmentation devices \u2014 evidence shows that they typically employ other tactics in those scenarios.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

They have, however, laid bounding fragmentation devices as \u2018booby traps\u2019 to target deminers that are clearing other threats, the IED officer said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The IED Threat Officer explained: \u201cFor example, an unexploded bounding device was laid on the surface intentionally to appear as if it had bounded but failed to detonate. In the ground directly under the \u2018failed\u2019 item was a second bounding device connected to two AP pressure plates, which were intended to be triggered by personnel coming to deal with the \u2018come-on\u2019 device.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In terms of Houthi operations, it does show that their intent has been to use explosive devices that can be better concealed as well as be triggered by a large variety of methods.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The different initiators (electrical initiators and mechanical percussion initiators) that have been developed specifically for use with these cloned bounding fragmentation devices show that they were designed with multi-role functionality in mind, similarly to their conventional counterparts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

\u201cWhat is more significant is the Houthis\u2019 development of larger variants of these cloned bounding fragmentation devices,\u201d the IED officer said.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe standard-sized variant is a clone of the 1950\u2019s era, Czechoslovakian PP-Mi-Sr, anti-personnel mine, which contained around 325 g of TNT. The standard variant contains approximately the same explosive quantity; however, the two larger variants contain an estimated 1.75 kg and 10 kg of TNT, respectively, and these variants are discovered connected to the same triggering methods, described above, and are therefore significantly more lethal and will indiscriminately kill civilians and deminers at greater ranges.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In recent months, Masam teams have found some of these more deadly landmines in riverbeds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Locally produced copy of the PP-Mi-Sr Czechoslovakian bounding fragmentation mine has now produced a \u201cbig brother\u201d in clearance areas as can be seen on the pictures.<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"\"\r\n
Large variant after disconnection from multiple pressure plates<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Harder to find mines<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Are these new bounding fragmentation mines harder to spot?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThis depends on the terrain in which it is been used. Yes, it can be difficult to spot if a person was unaware of its presence in that area,\u201d Marteens said, highlighting that those type of landmines are mainly used\u00a0close to the Houthi frontlines<\/a>, as well as placed in front of, or on the access paths up to, Houthi observation posts\/ sniper positions or on the axis of advance of Coalition Forces.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Amongst other uses, the Houthis appear to be using the bounding fragmentation devices in circumstances where they would have previously deployed one of their improvised claymore-style directional fragmentation charges.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe claymore style charges required to be emplaced above ground and are camouflaged as rocks, but to the \u2019trained eye\u2019 are relatively easy to spot at a safe distance,\u201d the IED offiecer explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The bounding fragmentation devices, by contrast, are emplaced below the ground and thus, are significantly harder to discover.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cIf used with a tripwire it is possible to identify the tripwire and the firing mechanism, which are typically above ground, but the other electrical trigger methods can all be concealed below the surface and therefore can only be identified using a metal detector at zero stand-off. Removal is certainly more complicated than for a standard pressure-actuated AP mine, for example,\u201d the IED expert added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Tripwire-initiated Houthi bounding fragmentation device<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Removing deadly mines<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Render Safe Procedures (RSP) can be easy, or difficult, depending on the terrain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWhen our demining teams are working in such areas [former defense positions in mountainous areas] that are prone to have these types of devices, they will proceed with caution and\u00a0follow set clearance procedures<\/a>\u00a0and look out for these mines.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Marteens added: \u201cIt has been observed that the Houthis position their pressure plates to the side from which they suspect the Yemeni forces will approach from. It is therefore advantageous for deminers to identify the direction of previous Houthi locations and, where possible, clear the ground from the Houthi side.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This tactic, he said, can allow the discovery of the explosive charges before encroaching on the switches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These new findings all point to one evidence: the Houthis are still manufacturing large numbers of both improvised AP and Bounding mines \u2014 all of which are\u00a0banned internationally<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

\u201cThese mines have been left in areas [after troops\u2019 withdrawal] where civilians have to move through, like in riverbeds, alongside roads and in mountains where the civilians have to take their sheep to graze,\u201d Marteens said.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cTo our understanding, as well as the areas in which the Houthis are using these mines, there isn\u2019t any concern for a person\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While Marteens pointed out that Masam had not yet received any information pertaining to civilian casualties due to bounding mines, Team 9 and their colleagues vow to continue their life-saving clearance operations in liberated areas of Yemen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This article was first published by\u00a0Medium<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A deep dive into bounding fragmentation mines. These banned deadly anti-personnel landmines that spray shrapnel at roughly waist height are now not only mass produced but \u2018super large\u2019 clones are now being discovered all over liberated areas of Yemen. On Friday 19 May 2022, a deminer present at humanitarian landmine clearance programme Masam picked up…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-18","description-off"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1894"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20416,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894\/revisions\/20416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}