IED Clearance Good Practice Guide

A bare wire loop switch contained in a clear 500 ml (200 mm x 95 mm) drinking bottle and consisting of two electrical wires, one red and one brown. A length of fishing line was attached to the red wire which had been laid across the adjacent track.

SWITCH(ES)

The main charge consisted of a black metal (probable steel) cylinder with an outside diameter of approximately 300 mm and 350 mm in length. The wall thickness was approximately 5 mm. A section of flat steel of the same thickness was welded on to one end with approximately 100 mm of red detonating cord protruding through a centrally located hole. At the other end there was a fragmentation matrix consisting of a mixture of nuts and bolts. The main charge contained approximately 10 kg of probable ammonium nitrate-based home-made explosive (HME).

MAIN CHARGE

1 x black and silver PP3 9V battery with “ENERGY” stencilling, wrapped in black adhesive tape with a length of white electrical wire secured to each terminal. The battery was secured to the outside of the bare wire switch using clear adhesive tape.

POWER SOURCE

The initiator was a commercial detonator measuring approximately 55 mm in length and 9 mm in diameter. Two yellow electrical leads protruded from a yellow plastic bung at the base of the detonator, each measuring approximately 400 mm in length. “DANGER BLASTING CAP” was stencilled in black on the detonator’s body.

INITIATOR

The IED components had not been placed in a container but camouflaged in long grass.

CONTAINER

Table 1. Example of IED reporting details for a tripwire IED

It will not always be possible or necessary to record this level of descriptive free text detail for every single IED. This volume of information could make effective information management difficult and laborious.

ׁ HINT. In the case of technical reports of new, novel or significant IEDs, however, this level of detail may need to be exceeded.

A better method may be predetermined fields, ideally specified by the NMAA, or at least with a broad consensus between MA implementers that are conducting IED survey and clearance.

Annex B of IMAS 05.10 on Information Management for Mine Action provides minimum data requirements for EO, but due to the improvised nature and novel ways in which IEDs can be employed, there is a requirement for more detailed reporting. An example of how set fields could be used to report the minimum requirements for the descriptive example above are in Table 2.

ׁ NOTE. When IEDs meet the definition of AP mines, this must be recorded and reported, as they are also subject to the APMBC.

IED threat assessment

23

Powered by