Landmines are explosive devices, usually anti-personnel, that are planted in the ground and lie hidden until someone or something triggers them The purpose of landmines is to create a deadly risk for enemy combatants and equipment. Although landmines have been used since ancient times, they have become especially effective and dangerous over the past century as they have been developed to become more powerful and harder to detect.
There are five main types of landmines. Anti-personnel mines have a small explosive charge, designed to maim or kill someone who triggers it. Anti-tank mines have a powerful explosive charge, designed to disable or destroy tanks or other heavy equipment. Command-detonated mines rely on remote activation and are generally used in defensive situations. Victim-activated mines are designed to be triggered when stepped on by unsuspecting individuals. Finally, there are bounding mines, which explode several feet above ground to spread shrapnel and cause further destruction.
The use of landmines is most common in countries that have gone through, or are currently in, a period of civil conflict. Various governments and rebel groups have been known to use landmines to help control territory and intimidate both civilians and enemy combatants. The five best examples of landmine use include:
1. Vietnam War: The United States and South Vietnam used more landmines during the Vietnam War than any other conflict before it. An estimated 15 million landmines were deployed in southeast Asia, with many still active today.
2. Bosnian War: The Bosnian War saw the proliferation of landmines in the Balkans. Many countries, including Croatia and Serbia, used them to mark and protect front lines, creating a humanitarian crisis that still exists today.
3. Iraq War: During the Iraq War, the United States used landmines to protect military installations and key transportation routes. Though the use of landmines has since been discontinued, there are still over 700,000 landmines in Iraq that threaten civilian lives.
4. Afghanistan War: In Afghanistan, landmines have been used to target both civilian and military targets. The Taliban has used them to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in civilian areas, while NATO forces have used them to mark supply routes and defensive perimeters.
5. Korean War: During the Korean War, an estimated two million landmines were deployed in the Korean peninsula. The United Nations Command used them to protect key strategic positions, leaving Korea heavily mined to this day.
The use of landmines has been a controversial and deadly weapon of war for many years. Though landmines provide a level of tactical advantage for military forces, the damage they cause to civilians, both during the war and in the post-conflict period, often outweighs the potential gains. Despite the prohibition of landmines by the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, they remain a major threat facing many countries around the world.