MASAM Detonates 2,415 Landmines in Bab al-Mandab

Yemen is a signatory to the international Mine Ban Treaty but the deadly munitions still pose a major threat (AFP Photo/KARIM SAHIB)
Yemen is a signatory to the international Mine Ban Treaty but the deadly munitions still pose a major threat (AFP Photo/KARIM SAHIB)
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MASAM Detonates 2,415 Landmines in Bab al-Mandab

Yemen is a signatory to the international Mine Ban Treaty but the deadly munitions still pose a major threat (AFP Photo/KARIM SAHIB)
Yemen is a signatory to the international Mine Ban Treaty but the deadly munitions still pose a major threat (AFP Photo/KARIM SAHIB)

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) project to clear mines in Yemen, MASAM, reported detonating 2,415 mines, explosive devices and unexploded ordnance in Bab al-Mandab directorate.

International expert from MASAM D.r Zawba al-Rawi confirmed that the operation included 400 anti-armor mines, 1500 shells and unexploded ordnance, 400 various fuses, in addition to 45 explosive devices and 70 anti-personnel mines.

This is the 18th operation for team 30 in the area, bringing the total number of operations carried out by the project in Yemen to 62.

Director-General of the MASAM project Ousama Al-Gosaibi announced that the teams cleared since the launch of the project until the 11th of June 169,434 mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive devices. Last week, an area of 264,862 square meters was purified, he added, which brings the total since launching the project to 10,648,279 square meters.

Moreover, MASAM’s operation room announced that the project’s teams cleared during the second week of this month 1,279 mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosive devices, which brings the total of the period ranging between the 30th of May and the 11th of June to 2,131.

MASAM's Operation Manager Retief Horn said that the engineering teams cleared during the same period 1,036 unexploded ordnance and 3 explosive devices. He added that the teams cleared also 238 anti-tank mines and 2 anti-personnel mines.

In this context, a Yemeni was killed on Sunday by a landmine planted by Houthis in El Tor. The residents rushed to the site to rescue him but he had succumbed to his injury and passed away on spot.



White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Biden administration is urging Hamas to sign on to a new ceasefire deal that would ensure the release of hostages, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

Kirby said the White House welcomed Israel's decision to send another team to Doha to continue negotiations.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release for a year with no success and are making another push this month before Donald Trump's inauguration.
Ceasefire efforts have continually stumbled on a fundamental disagreement over how to end the conflict. Hamas says it will accept an agreement and release the hostages only if Israel commits to ending the war. Israel says it will agree to stop fighting only once Hamas is destroyed.

On Friday, Hamas said it wanted "a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip" and the return of displaced people to their homes in all areas of the enclave.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for a ceasefire agreement. Trump has said that if there is not a deal to release the hostages before his inauguration, "all hell is going to break out.”