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A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it.[1] Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, which are designed to disable tanks or other vehicles; and anti-personnel mines, which are designed to injure or kill people.[2]
Land mines are typically pressure activated, exploding automatically when stepped on by a person or driven over by a vehicle, though alternative detonation mechanisms are sometimes used.[3] A land mine may cause damage by direct blast effect, by fragments that are thrown by the blast, or by both. Land mines are typically laid throughout an area, creating a minefield[4] which is dangerous to cross.
The use of land mines is controversial because of their indiscriminate nature and their potential to remain dangerous many years after a conflict has ended, harming civilians and the economy. With pressure from a number of campaign groups organised through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a global movement to prohibit their use led to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, also known as the Ottawa Treaty. To date, 164 nations have signed the treaty. However, China, the Russian Federation and the United States are not signatories.[5]
- ^ "Types of landmines". GICHD. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
IMASglossarywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Land mine". Merriam-Webster. 2019. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "minefield". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "States parties to the convention". The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2019.