Masam destroys nearly 6,000 items of unexploded ordnance in Bab Al-Mandab

According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi-backed Project Masam has successfully destroyed 5,977 items of unexploded ordnance in the Bab Al-Mandab region of Yemen's Taiz governorate. The operation, conducted over the past month, targeted remnants of war that posed immediate risks to local infrastructure and civilian populations, including farmland and grazing areas used by shepherds and children.

The inventory of destroyed items, as reported by the project, included 142 shells, 2,758 fuzes, 2,998 rounds of ammunition, 14 anti-personnel mines, 36 anti-tank mines, nine hand grenades, six missiles, eight improvised explosive devices, and six warheads. Adib Rajab, commander of Masam's Special Task Team 2, stated that the items were recovered from various locations along Yemen's western coast and neutralized following strict technical safety procedures.

Project Masam has been a long-standing initiative aimed at clearing landmines and explosive remnants of war across Yemen, a country heavily impacted by years of conflict. The presence of unexploded ordnance remains a significant humanitarian concern, frequently cited by international observers as a primary obstacle to the safe return of displaced persons and the resumption of agricultural activities in rural Yemeni provinces.

This latest clearance effort comes amid heightened tensions in the Bab Al-Mandab strait, a critical maritime chokepoint that has seen increased security challenges recently. While the demining operations are focused on humanitarian safety, they occur within a broader context of regional instability that has complicated aid and reconstruction efforts in the coastal governorates of Yemen.