IED Clearance Good Practice Guide

The village

The town

Crater

Image 12. Image taken by the UAV during NTS

OPERATIONAL THREAT SUMMARY

The explosion was probably the result of a command-pull IED with a 20 kg blast main charge. It is probable that it was inadvertently initiated as the herd of sheep was being moved into a field for the first time since the conflict ended. The IED that functioned was located at a prominent vulnerable point (VP), with a tree as an aiming marker and a culvert acting as a choke point slowing down vehicles moving along the route. It is assessed as unlikely that VOIEDs have been emplaced on the route or that this explosion was the result of active conflict. Analysis of the route during NTS identified one further VP that would have provided the NSAG with an opportunity to use a command-pull IED.

Main charge and initiation components

‘Pull’ switch (string)

Image 13. An example of the assessed command-pull IED

IED threat assessment

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