News – March 2026

  • Syria: Two members of engineering teams injured in landmine explosion in northern Al-Raqqah

    March 31, 2026

    Two members of an engineering unit specialized in mine clearance, affiliated with the Syrian Army’s 72nd Division, were injured due to the explosion of an old landmine while they were attempting to dismantle it in Ain Issa town in northern Al-Raqqah countryside. War remnants are prevalent over large geographical areas in Syria amid a complete absence ...

  • UK: Unexploded WW2 mortar shell safely removed from Epsom council offices

    March 30, 2026

    An unexploded World War II mortar shell has been safely removed from the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council offices, allowing the town centre to fully reopen to the public. Earlier today, a member of the public brought the mortar shell to the council’s front counter, prompting the evacuation of staff from the building. Homes within a ...

  • Women’s participation enhances the effectiveness of mine action in Viet Nam

    March 30, 2026

    The event brought together representatives from state agencies, international organisations, mine action operators, and experts from Colombia, Laos, and Lebanon. The workshop aimed to review and validate the findings of a recent report, while discussing its recommendations, with a view to developing an action plan to promote gender mainstreaming and diversity in survey and clearance operations, ...

  • UN: Sea mines clearance, a new dimension of difficulty

    March 30, 2026

    It is still not clear whether mines, which can sink vessels of all types if activated, have been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, as part of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Most shipping has not been able to pass through the strategically important strait as Iran continues its war with the United States, ...

  • Malta: Armed Forces detonate World War II bombs found in Rabat and Birżebbuġa

    March 29, 2026

    Over the weekend, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team from the Armed Forces of Malta were called out to two reports of unexploded World War II ammunition. Yesterday evening, the EOD Team responded to a call in a residence in Rabat following a report of a suspected item of wartime origin. The item was identified as a ...

  • Syria: Aleppo launches major campaign to clear 150,000 cubic meters of war rubble

    March 28, 2026

    Aleppo Governorate has launched a large-scale campaign to remove roughly 150,000 cubic meters of rubble and earth barriers and reopen key roads across several neighborhoods. Engineering teams first inspected and secured the sites, checking for explosives and other remnants of war before starting debris removal and road clearance. Aleppo launches major campaign to clear 150,000 cubic ...

  • Thailand: Mine clearance stepped up on Sa Kaeo border as more than 60,000 sq m remain high-risk

    March 28, 2026

    Burapha Task Force says it has cleared 39,100 sq m of a nearly 100,000-sq-m suspected hazardous area on the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo, but more than 60% remains dangerous. A POMZ-2 anti-personnel mine was recently found and removed. Burapha Task Force, through Humanitarian Mine Action Unit 1, on Saturday entered the Thai-Cambodian border area to ...

  • Iran: US-made Gator anti-tank mines reportedly discovered near missile facility outside Shiraz

    March 27, 2026

    Images circulating online appear to show U.S.-made scatterable anti-tank land mines near a suspected Iranian missile facility outside Shiraz, raising questions about whether the United States has begun using area-denial weapons to hinder Iran’s missile operations. Iranian state media first reported the discovery of the devices on Thursday, claiming several people were killed after the mines ...