Landmines factsheet

Landmines are deadly weapons buried in the ground or scattered from helicopters or aeroplanes during war. They fall into two main categories:

High-explosive anti-tank mines designed to destroy tanks and other large vehicles when trigged by the pressure of a heavy load. These are sometimes booby-trapped with smaller mines.

Smaller anti-personnel mines (APMs) designed to kill or maim. These mines are usually triggered by a trip-wire, by someone treading on a pressure switch or picking them up.

To find out more, download the Landmines factsheet.