Al-Gosaibi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Have Turned Everyday Objects into Explosive Mines

Houthi landmines that have been concealed as rocks. (Masam Project)
Houthi landmines that have been concealed as rocks. (Masam Project)
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Al-Gosaibi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Have Turned Everyday Objects into Explosive Mines

Houthi landmines that have been concealed as rocks. (Masam Project)
Houthi landmines that have been concealed as rocks. (Masam Project)

One of the oddest explosives discovered by the Saudi Masam Project in Yemen was a bean can that the Iran-backed Houthi militias had booby-trapped to form a landmine.

Ousama al-Gosaibi, the program manager for the Masam Project, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis had designed the explosive in a way that it would explode the moment someone approached it.

Al-Gosaibi is the first Arab and Saudi to earn a United Nations degree in demining. The Masam Project has been working on removing mines in war-torn Yemen since 2018. The teams have so far removed over 386,000 explosives that have been planted arbitrarily by the Houthis.

Nearly 85 percent of the mines that have been removed by Masam were locally made and designed to inflict the greatest harm possible to civilians, said al-Gosaibi.

Masam teams are waging a war against the Houthis mines, he added.

As of the first week of February, the teams have removed 386,282 Houthi mines and explosives.

The teams, he added, are not removing traditional mines that are internationally recognized, but devices that have been developed by the Houthis.

Furthermore, he clarified that Yemen has also had to deal with mines that were planted during the past six wars. Those were traditional mines, but the Houthis introduced locally produced ones.

The most common mines discovered by Masam are ones that are designed to appear as regular everyday objects, such as rocks, bean cans, pieces of metal, and even palm tree trunks.

The Houthis would plant the explosives in civilian areas, such as farms, streets, schools, fields and even water sources, al-Gosaibi said.

The militias have planted explosives in 18 Yemeni provinces and Masam is operating in eleven: Sanaa, al-Hodeidah, Aden, al-Bayda, al-Jawf, Lahj, Marib, Shabwa, Taiz, al-Dhale and Saada. They have so far cleared 44,122,922 square meters of territory.

Masam is cooperating with the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC) to save as many innocent lives as possible from the danger of mines and explosives in liberated regions, added al-Gosaibi.

The Yemenis have proven their professionalism and competence in mine removal and they will pave the way for the development of specialized and experienced cadres that can carry out this humanitarian work in the future, he remarked.

Masam boasts 525 employees on the ground, including 32 teams operating in liberated regions. They have trained 450 Yemenis and are overseeing their work, revealed al-Gosaibi.

One of the main challenges facing Masam is the fact that the Houthis have planted mines arbitrarily, leaving no maps to indicate their locations, he explained.

Masam has had to rely on field sweeps and information collected on the ground, such as from citizens and unfortunately, when explosives are set off, which is a nearly daily occurrence.

Compounding the challenges are Yemen’s treacherous terrain and the Houthis’ ongoing planting of mines. In fact, some areas that have been cleared by Masam have again been planted with the explosives because the military operations have not stopped, al-Gosaibi lamented.



Islamist Leader in Sudan’s Former Ruling Party Eyes Power After War

Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
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Islamist Leader in Sudan’s Former Ruling Party Eyes Power After War

Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)

A senior figure in Sudan’s dissolved ruling party has revealed that the country’s Islamist movement is preparing for a return to power once the ongoing conflict ends, even if it means supporting prolonged military rule in the interim.

The remarks, made by Ahmed Haroun, former head of the National Congress Party and one of four Sudanese figures wanted by the International Criminal Court, reflect growing confidence among Islamists following their military involvement in the war.

The war, now in its third year, pits Sudan’s army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has triggered massive displacement, famine, and ethnic violence. Despite the RSF holding strategic ground in Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, the army has recently gained momentum on multiple fronts.

Islamist factions claim credit for assisting in these advances, contributing fighters and logistical support.

According to military and government sources, the Islamist movement has been increasingly visible on the battlefield.

These networks, dismantled following the 2019 uprising that ousted Omar al-Bashir, have resurfaced amid the chaos of war.

A leaked party document reviewed by Reuters outlines the movement’s growing role, stating that between 2,000 and 3,000 Islamist fighters were mobilized in the conflict’s first year, with over 70,000 civilians trained for combat under the army’s call for general mobilization.

While military leadership has downplayed connections to political factions, army sources and Islamists alike acknowledge that coordination exists, particularly within elite units where Islamist-trained operatives are embedded. Islamist forces have reportedly reinforced dwindling army ranks, especially in key battles around the capital, Khartoum.

Ahmed Haroun, who escaped from prison at the onset of the conflict, proposed a governance model that preserves military control over national sovereignty and security, with a civilian prime minister emerging from future elections.

He insisted that Islamists will only return through elections, not via transitional arrangements, and argued that Sudan needs a tailored political model that accommodates military involvement due to ongoing security threats and foreign interference.

While denying the scale of Islamist involvement described in the leaked documents, Haroun admitted that supporting the army was part of a broader strategy in response to the national call for mobilization.

Military sources estimate that at least 5,000 fighters directly linked to the former ruling party are active, with many serving in specialized units or intelligence services.

Despite these developments, Haroun and other Islamist figures maintain that they do not wield authority over the army. Still, their growing influence on the battlefield and political landscape has sparked renewed concerns about the possible resurgence of Sudan’s old guard in the post-war order.