"Masam" announces clearing 450 thousand square meters of Houthi minefields in the "Al-Alam" area in Shabwa

The Saudi MASAM project for mine clearance in Yemen announced today, Saturday, the clearing of an area of approximately 450 thousand square meters in the Al-Alam area in the Asilan district, Shabwa governorate, southeast of Yemen.

The team leader, Engineer Mohammed Qamata, explained that the operation included securing nine interconnected minefields despite the major challenges in this vital area, noting that the nature of the sandy terrain, which changes due to the winds, constituted a complex obstacle, which forced the team to re-survey the area periodically to ensure that it was free of mines.

According to the project’s website , the operation resulted in the discovery and dismantling of 29 anti-tank mines, 17 various explosive devices, 25 electric pedals for land mines, and seven anti-personnel mines, which were planted in camouflaged and complex ways.

He pointed out that the "Al-Alam" area is one of the most dangerous mined areas in the Asilan Directorate, due to it containing communication network towers and the local population's reliance on it for grazing camels and sheep, stressing that the Houthi militias have turned the area into a mined security belt, including barrel explosive devices buried under the shifting sand.

Qamata explained that these efforts come within the plan of the "Masam" project to clear 82 mined areas in the Asilan Directorate, to ensure the restoration of basic services such as communication networks and to secure the safe use of land for grazing and agriculture.

The project reiterated its commitment to continue working to protect the lives of civilians and provide a mine-free environment despite the ongoing field challenges.

The Saudi project "Masam" announced the removal of about half a million mines and explosive devices in Yemen since it began operating in Yemen in early 2018.