Masam removes 840 landmines in Yemen: Summary of the second week of February 2026

The “Masam” project for clearing Yemeni lands of mines, affiliated with the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, continued to achieve its field accomplishments in securing the lives of civilians, as the engineering teams were able during the second week of February 2026 to remove 840 mines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices planted in various areas of Yemen, reflecting the continuation of Saudi efforts to defuse the threat of death that lurks for innocent people.

Details of field operations and types of mines

The project's operations room revealed that the ordnance removed this week encompassed a variety of threats, including 16 anti-personnel mines, 149 anti-tank mines, 660 pieces of unexploded ordnance, and 15 improvised explosive devices. These figures underscore the scale of the challenges faced by engineering teams in the field and the danger these military remnants pose to farmers, travelers, and residents of remote villages.

Geographical distribution of clearance operations

The demining operations covered several Yemeni governorates, highlighting the project's comprehensiveness and its spread across liberated areas:

• Aden Governorate: Khor Maksar district was cleared of unexploded ordnance, and 256 other pieces of ordnance were removed in Aden district.
• Hajjah Governorate: Midi District witnessed the removal of 50 anti-tank mines, 330 unexploded ordnance, and 9 improvised explosive devices.
• Lahj Governorate: Unexploded ordnance was dealt with in Al-Mudharabah District.
• Al Hudaydah Governorate: The team continued its work in the vital Hays district.
• Marib Governorate: Anti-tank mines and ammunition were removed in the districts of Ragwan and Al-Wadi.
• Shabwa Governorate: Areas in the districts of Ain, Asilan (Arma), and Bayhan have been secured, where large quantities of anti-tank mines and improvised explosive devices have been removed.
• Taiz Governorate: The operations included the districts of Al-Mukha, Dhubab, and Salah, where dozens of mines and ammunition that threatened the main roads were removed.

Project importance and humanitarian context

This intensive effort comes as part of the leading role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its humanitarian arm, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The "Masam" project primarily aims to enable Yemeni citizens to return safely to their homes and farms. These operations are of paramount importance because indiscriminately planted landmines pose a major obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid and the restoration of normalcy, in addition to causing permanent disabilities and loss of life among women, children, and the elderly.

Overall statistics reflect the scale of the achievement

With this week's count, the number of mines removed in February alone has risen to 4,006. As for the overall achievement since the project's inception, a total of 541,511 mines and unexploded ordnance have been cleared from Yemeni territory. This staggering figure reflects the scale of the disaster averted in Yemen and underscores the Kingdom's continued commitment to supporting security, stability, and humanitarian efforts in Yemen until all its lands are free from this imminent threat.