Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam said its teams dismantled 725 mines in Yemen believed to be planted by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, in the first week of January, according to a press release by the project.
The press released added “the project’s teams destroyed 596 unexploded ordnance, 126 anti-tank mines, two anti-personnel mines, and one explosive device.”
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
A total of 427,534 mines have been cleared since the start of the initiative in 2018, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
The project trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.