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MASAM Removes 3,000 Landmines, Unexploded Ordnance in October

Osama Al-Gosaibi, the project director, during his last visit to the interim capital, Aden. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Osama Al-Gosaibi, the project director, during his last visit to the interim capital, Aden. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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MASAM Removes 3,000 Landmines, Unexploded Ordnance in October

Osama Al-Gosaibi, the project director, during his last visit to the interim capital, Aden. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Osama Al-Gosaibi, the project director, during his last visit to the interim capital, Aden. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The project ran by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for clearing landmines in Yemen, MASAM, managed to remove 3,000 landmines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance in October.

Osama Al-Gosaibi, the project director, said that the teams that have been working in more than 11 Yemeni provinces since June 2018 continue to discover more mines randomly planted by the Houthis after each truce.

Al-Gosaibi added that planting mines by Houthis is accelerating and expanding in scope.

MASAM reported on Sunday that 688 landmines planted by Houthis were removed across Yemen during the fourth week of Oct. The mines removed include 10 anti-personnel mines, 123 anti-tank mines, 553 unexploded ordnance, and two explosive devices.

The total of cleared mines reached 2,894 in October.

Since the beginning of the project, as many as 419,997 mines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance planted by the Houthi militias have been dismantled. The mines have killed thousands of Yemenis including women, children, and seniors.

The UN mission to monitor the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement in Hodeidah announced that the toll of civilian casualties due to mines have more than doubled in August. More than 20 were killed and wounded in 13 incidents. This represents an increase of 122 percent compared to July when five were killed and four were wounded.

Al-Gosaibi described the MASAM project as a bold step by the Saudi leadership. Thanks to the leadership, the first program to dismantle mines was established during an ongoing war to protect the Yemenis, he added.

He further urged all international and local organizations operating in Yemen to publish their data and document their work so that the world gets introduced to the catastrophe in Yemen caused by the Houthis' insistence to kill civilians by planting random mines.

MASAM works on clearing 11 provinces including Sanaa, Hodeidah, Aden, Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf, Lahj, Marib, Shabwa, Taiz, Al-Dhalea, and Saada.

The teams include 525 employees, including 32 teams that have trained, equipped, and supervised 450 Yemenis.

The operations room contains the field team for demining, administration, logistical support, and security support staff. They are supported by 30 technical experts and rapid response teams.

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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.