Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The operations room of Project “Masam” for clearing mines in Yemeni lands announced the removal and confiscation of approximately 573,625 mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the project’s launch in late June 2018 until July 10th.
A statement published by the project’s media office indicated a steady pace of field operations during the first days of July. The field teams managed to remove 2,500 mines, munitions, and IEDs during the first third of the month, including 1,293 mines and remnants extracted during the second week alone. These consisted of 1,218 unexploded ordnances, 65 anti-tank mines, 2 anti-personnel mines, and 8 IEDs.
The land secured during the past week reached an area estimated at 355,227 square meters, bringing the total area secured since the beginning of the month until the tenth to 667,491 square meters. Meanwhile, the cumulative toll of the teams in Midi Directorate alone reached 10,736 mines, munitions, and IEDs handled since operations began in that area.
The Director General of Project “Masam”, Ousama Al-Gosaibi, explained that the project’s overall total since its inception saw the dismantling of 405,453 unexploded ordnances and 152,059 anti-tank mines, alongside the extraction of 8,562 IEDs and 7,551 anti-personnel mines. He emphasized the continuation of efforts to deal with the threats left by the war on Yemeni land.
Al-Gosaibi pointed out that the total area of land cleared since the launch of the project reached 82,739,626 square meters, which directly contributed to returning vast areas to safe use, and creating the conditions for the return of residents and the resumption of civil and agricultural activities.
