DURING NTS THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE WAS RECORDED
IED indicators
• The route running through the middle of the village provided a defensive opportunity for the armed group by channelling both their opponent’s foot and vehicle patrols. The vehicles that were used during the conflict were lightly armoured 4x4 pickups. • During NTS a UAV was used to confirm two craters (or disturbances) from previous explosions. They are both approximately 3 m in diameter and 0.5 m deep. • The ground is a mixture of compacted stone and sand and it would be possible to secrete subsurface IEDs in the ground, perceived as a Big 5 indicator. • There are no obvious aiming markers , but the urbanised area does have constricted areas when moving off the main route to smaller further restricted tracks, some of which would allow small vehicles to access and channel considerably. • There are warning markers in the form of fist-sized rocks and stones laid in a line at the two ends of the red line that can be seen in the aerial image. • The village elder suggested there are areas of disturbance at a number of points on the route.
IED signs
• A ground sign disturbance can be seen on the track, with what seems to be a regularity of linear shape running off into the verge. • Discardables are present in the form of what appears to be a number of VOIED switches and ‘palm oil’ main charge containers that have been abandoned, as a ground sign near to adjacent buildings. • Traces of a white granular substance or discardable on the surface of the ground commensurate with the type of HME used by the armed group has been found.
OPERATIONAL THREAT ASSESSMENT
A threat assessment consistent with Annex C of IMAS 07.14 Risk Management in Mine Action, based on the evidence of IED indicators and signs recorded during NTS, concludes that:
The main route is most likely contaminated with VOIEDs. These are probably low metal content pressure plate switches with the main charge in the centre of the route and the battery offset in the verge to make detection by opposing groups more difficult. The IED’s main charges are likely to be 15–20 kg of HME in a plastic container.
ׁ WARNING. Evidence recorded from other sources such as key informant interviews, national threat analysis and MA reports related to the area, would be used to expand this operational threat assessment prior to its inclusion in an IED clearance plan.
Scenario examples
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