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SARAJEVO |
Minefields
of Sarajevo
Minefield Zones The minefields of Sarajevo are marked on maps available from MAC. These maps exclusively supply information about verified minefields; these are places where land-mines were laid by conflicting armies, and after the peace agreement information about types, numbers and locations of the minefields were handed over to the humanitarian demining organizations. There are zones that were not mined by the military but rather by civilians themselves. One example is that of houses and gardens, more or less isolated, were mined by their owners for protection out of fear of being attacked. A second example is a case where, for one reason or another, a proprietor had to abandon the house, and its surrounding terrain now represents a potentially mined area. The minefields of Sarajevo, in reality, are many more than those marked on the maps. Besides those of Sarajevo, there are also maps showing minefield locations in Bosnia. Types of Land-mines There is presence of many types of landmines in Bosnia. They were in large majority manufactured in Yugoslavia, Russia or China. Generally, this is the ballistic material already adopted and used by the former Yugoslav Army. It appears that all landmines in Bosnia contain one, although very small, but still existing part of metal. This makes them easier to locate by use of metal detectors. Demining of Rural Zones Demining personnel who are all ex soldiers performs manual demining. There are two motives for employing ex soldiers as deminers; firstly, they already have experience with explosives, therefore less training is required (only three weeks) and costs less. Secondly, local inhabitants are being employed in this way. The salary of a deminer is much higher in relation to average Bosnian one; it is about 1,200 to 1,400 German marks per month. This is the demining operation procedure: • In the first place, a terrain is carefully observed in order to find hidden trip-wires and booby traps. • Two sticks are placed onto the ground at a space of one metre. • Grass between these sticks is cut in a strip approximately ten centimetres wide. • This portion of the terrain (one metre by ten centimetres) is checked with a metal detector. • If the detector does not indicate the existence of metal, the procedure will continue onto the next ten centimeters using the same system; at the end of the operation a metre wide demined "corridor" will be attained. • If the detector does indicate the existence of metal, a deminer must probe the terrain with a metal prodder every 3cm, until something solid is found. The prodder must be inserted into the ground at a specific angle, otherwise a different angle could cause the accidental triggering of a land-mine. A solid buried object, found by probing, must be marked and deactivation experts are called. They remove the soil around the marked area of a land-mine (which can also be any metallic object) in order to expose and neutralize it. Finally, the deactivation commander decides how the land-mine will be neutralised. There are three possibilities: deactivation, removal or destruction on the site. The destruction of land-mines by explosion is safely executed in a specially provided and protected area.
Demining of Urban Zones The visit started from two suburbs of Sarajevo: Nedarici and Aerodromsko Naselje, where deminers work on the removal of Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) and land-mines out and in surroundings of different buildings. The dangerous zones of the Sarajevo’s Canton correspond to the entire front line of the city under siege from the Serbian Army (forming the ring that surrounds the entire city). In the main, the job has been finished regarding the internal zones of the city. The major objective is a complete clearance of these two quarters, which is particularly dangerous when speaking about a zone of the city that is the part of the urban nucleus. Besides land-mines, the job of clearance includes the removal of UXO. While the urban nucleus of Sarajevo is practically free of land-mines (especially inside houses, buildings and their gardens), the UXO presents the major danger. The clearance of courtyards and gardens, as well as real minefields that are located in the outskirts regions of the city, is principally done in the spring or summer time, and it is blocked in the winter time because of snow and ice that covers the ground. In winter, the priority is given to the internal clearance of apartments and buildings, where in practice only UXO are found and none of landmines. Operations within the urban zones must commence early in the morning (4.00 to 5.00 a.m.) to avoid difficulties created to traffic and local population.
Explosive Detector Dog (EDD) Procedures in Bosnia EDD procedures described are used in Bosnian minefields and were observed during the writer’s visit in August 1999. The writer also used some information from Standing Operational Procedures of OKTOL d.j.l. (Commercial humanitarian demining company based in Bosnia). Explosive-detector Dog teams are deployed, during a Technical Survey in a mine-suspected area when 15´ 15 metre plots and surrounding access lines have been defined. The boundaries of these plots are always marked by wooden stakes, which are hammered into the ground at an inter-space of one metre and connected by plastic rope or tape. In deminers’ terminology these plots are often referred to as boxes. After the direction of any wind is identified, the dog and dog-handler work in lines perpendicular to the wind. The platoon cell’s deminer no.1 takes a position at a distance of 25 metres from the EDD team in order to monitor their work. The dog-handler and deminer no.1 can start working on a plot to clear mines only if equipped according to requirements prescribed by SOPs. Before letting
a dog enter the plot, the dog-handler kneels 1 metre outside the plot’s
boundary. The dog-handler, whilst kneeling, orders the dog to commence
the task of explosive and trip-wire detection. The dog searches a linear
area, parallel to and half a metre distant from the boundary of the plot.
When an 8-metre length of this line is searched the dog-handler orders
the dog to stop, and to commence working on another parallel line half
a metre distant from that just searched. The dog-handler at a distance
of half a metre follows the dog. The dog and its handler repeat this procedure
of checking 8-metres length of parallel lines every half-metre until one
side of the plot is completed, see Diagram 4. The procedure is then repeated
from the opposite side ensuring the entire surface of the plot (box) is
searched.
The EDD team stops working and pulls out from the plot when the dog signals by its reaction that it has detected an explosive. Controlled by deminer no.2 from a distance of 25 metres, deminer no.1 using a metal-detector advances to 1 metre from the position signaled by the dog. He checks this area by using manual demining techniques (metal detection and prodding). When a land-mine or UXO is found, deminer no.1 instructs deminer no.2 to inform the team leader, who decides how the mine/UXO will be neutralized. To stimulate the dog, the dog-handler always rewards the dog when it has found a land-mine, UXO or trip-wire. After the mine is neutralized, deminer no.1 continues checking the next 2 metres in the same line using manual techniques. If no mine is found in these two metres the EDD team returns to work in the plot starting from the position where the dog had stopped. However, if a mine is found, the EDD team withdraws because there may be the danger that many mines are present in the small area. The EDD team is directed to work in the next plot. Finally, every plot is checked with a minimum of two dogs (or two EDD teams). After the first dog leaves the plot the second dog cannot enter within 3 hours. This is to avoid the possibility of the second dog following the scent of the first dog. In an area where an explosion has occurred EDD teams can be used after a minimum of 3 days. This is regarding the area of 50 metres in radius from the centre of the explosion. A minimum of 15 days must pass before EDD teams can be deployed in areas where vegetation has been burnt. See photos of Explosive Detector Dogs on training in a region of Mostar
SARAJEVO 1999 |
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