antipersonnel mine

A mine is a stationary explosive device designed to destroy personnel, ships, or vehicles upon contact. Submarine mines have been used since the mid-19th century, while land mines became significant in warfare around World War II.1

Land mines are typically buried and can be triggered by weight, time, or remote control. They are categorized as antitank mines or antipersonnel mines. Antipersonnel mines, designed to kill or wound soldiers with fragments, contain less explosive material and can be detonated by a footstep.1

Millions of antipersonnel mines were laid in conflicts like the Vietnam War, leaving many active mines in rural areas. By the end of the 20th century, an estimated 60 to 100 million antipersonnel mines in nearly 70 countries caused approximately 25,000 deaths and injuries annually. This led to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, which entered into force in 1999, committing signatories to destroy stockpiles and clear minefields.12