MINESMINES

DefinitionDefinition• It is an explosive or other material It is an explosive or other material

normally encased and designed to normally encased and designed to destroy or damage vehicles, air crafts destroy or damage vehicles, air crafts

• Designed to wound or kill peopleDesigned to wound or kill people

• It can be detonated by the action of it It can be detonated by the action of it target, the passage of time or by target, the passage of time or by controlled meanscontrolled means

• Antipersonnel mines (AP Antipersonnel mines (AP mines) mines) Weight: Weight: gramsgrams

• Anti Tank mines (AT mines) Anti Tank mines (AT mines)

Weight: Weight: kgkg

The Family of MinesThe Family of Mines

Categorization of Land Categorization of Land MinesMines

• Anti-Personnel MinesAnti-Personnel Mines– BlastBlast– FragmentationFragmentation– Bounding FragmentationBounding Fragmentation

• Directional and Anti Group MinesDirectional and Anti Group Mines– FragmentationFragmentation

• Anti Tank MinesAnti Tank Mines– BlastBlast

Anti Personnel Blast Anti Personnel Blast MinesMines

• Pressure activated, Pressure activated, between 1 – 5kgs between 1 – 5kgs

• Contain 75 – 200 Contain 75 – 200 grams of explosivesgrams of explosives

• Causes traumatic Causes traumatic amputation of limbsamputation of limbs

• Plastic or metal, Plastic or metal, difficult to see due to difficult to see due to small sizesmall size

Anti Personnel Blast MinesAnti Personnel Blast Mines

2 grams of HE

EFFECT

200 grams of HE

200 grams of HE

EFFECT

AP – Directional Fragmentation Mine

Directional and Anti Group MinesDirectional and Anti Group Mines

•Generally fragmentationGenerally fragmentation

•Surface or sub-surfaceSurface or sub-surface

•Trip-wire or command Trip-wire or command operatedoperated

•Lethal radius of 50+mLethal radius of 50+m

•Commonly used in Commonly used in conjunction with buried conjunction with buried AP mines AP mines

Anti Tank Blast Mines

Anti Tank Mines

TM - 62

• Pressure activated Pressure activated fuse of 70-200+kgfuse of 70-200+kg

• Contain between 5-Contain between 5-10kg of explosives10kg of explosives

• Normally buried, Normally buried, often with anti-lift often with anti-lift devices and in devices and in conjunction with AP conjunction with AP minesmines

• Metal or plasticMetal or plastic

Anti Tank mine on minibus and light military vehicles.

EFFECT

Mine Area Recognition

Note:Note: Mined Areas are often not markedMined Areas are often not marked

Marking is theMarking is the exception, not the exception, not the rule !!!rule !!!

Because of this, it is important to Because of this, it is important to recogniserecognise areas that might be at risk from mines / areas that might be at risk from mines / UXOUXO

• Evacuated buildings/housesEvacuated buildings/houses• Where fighting has occurredWhere fighting has occurred• Strategic & Military AreasStrategic & Military Areas• Unattended fields/heavy vegetationUnattended fields/heavy vegetation• Near military camps or positionsNear military camps or positions• Along or beside foot pathsAlong or beside foot paths• Along roadwaysAlong roadways• Culverts and bridgesCulverts and bridges• Doorways of housesDoorways of houses• Wells and water access pointsWells and water access points• Ditches or hiding placesDitches or hiding places• Stream crossing pointsStream crossing points

Where Mines Are Found

Minefield Indicators

• Area clearly marked as a mine fieldArea clearly marked as a mine field• Parts of mines (unknown plastic and metal)Parts of mines (unknown plastic and metal)• Barb wire (wires)Barb wire (wires)• Empty packages of minesEmpty packages of mines• Signs of confrontation lines Signs of confrontation lines • Check points and roadblocksCheck points and roadblocks• Destroyed/abandoned military equipmentDestroyed/abandoned military equipment• Craters of minesCraters of mines• Injuries to local populationInjuries to local population• Dead animalsDead animals• Suspicious itemsSuspicious items

Red and white

painted stones

International signs:International signs: Sign posts:Sign posts:

These are normally bright red, square or These are normally bright red, square or triangular in shape 25cm x 25cm in size and triangular in shape 25cm x 25cm in size and have a skull and cross bones with the have a skull and cross bones with the wordswords “DANGER MINES”“DANGER MINES” written in local written in local languageslanguages

Painted rocksPainted rocks Local markingsLocal markings

Piles of rocksPiles of rocks Crossed sticksCrossed sticks Knotted grassKnotted grass FlagsFlags Plastic bags hanging from treesPlastic bags hanging from trees

MarkingsMarkings

Official SignsOfficial Signs

Unconventional SignsUnconventional Signs

Actions on Actions on Finding Finding YourselfYourself

In a Mined AreaIn a Mined Area

10 minutes Exercise10 minutes Exercise

Stop!Stop!

Warn!Warn!

Radio!Radio!

Wait!Wait!

STOP!M

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N

E

D

Movement:Inform:Note:Evaluate:Do not:

Stop. Remain Calm. Stay still and do not move your feet.

Inform and warn people around you. Call for help, but keep others away.

Note the area. What else can you see: mines, tripwires, mine signs?

Evaluate your course of action. Be prepared to take control of the situation.

Do not move, if there is no safe area or if you can’t reach it, Wait for help to arrive.

Who:Who:UNDSS (UNDSS (Via RadioVia Radio))Local AuthoritiesLocal AuthoritiesUNMACAUNMACAAgencyAgencyLocal Demining AgencyLocal Demining Agency

Reporting IncidentsReporting Incidents

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?