Saudi initiative clears over 600 ‘Houthi’ mines in Yemen

A Saudi Arabian-backed mine clearance initiative, Project Masam, has dismantled 629 mines  between 16-22 March in Yemen, explosives which were reportedly planted by Houthi forces.

These included 520 items of unexploded ordnance, 105 anti-tank mines and four improvised explosive devices, reported Arab News yesterday. The explosives were “planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen,” it added.

Overseen by the kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, the demining operations took place across Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hudaydah, Lahij, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, Saada and the capital Sanaa, the outlet said.

During the second week of #Ramadan , Project Masam's reserve and emergency demining teams cleared 629 #landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and improvised #explosive devices (IEDs).#Yemen #MineAction pic.twitter.com/jMpWFcqY5W

— Project Masam (@Masam_ENG) March 24, 2024

According to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director, a total of 435,863 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018.

Last week, the Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency cited the Executive Centre for Mine Action in Hudaydah disclosing that explosive remnants in the governorate caused the loss of 52 lives, including 19 children and five women, and injured 80 people, including four women and 24 children.

The agency added that most of the areas that witnessed “escalation by the [Saudi-led] coalition and its mercenaries” in the governorate have been contaminated with mines and remnants. Due to lack of specialised machinery, removal efforts have also been hindered.

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