Anti-personnel mine

Sand-colored VS-50 mine intended for use in desert environments (shown beside a wristwatch, for scale)

An anti-personnel mine or anti-personnel landmine (APL) is a form of mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to an anti-tank mine, which target vehicles.^[1] APLs are classified into: blast mines and fragmentation mines; the latter may or may not be a bounding mine.^[2]

APLs are often designed to injure and maim, not kill, their victims to overwhelm the logistical (mostly medical) support system of enemy forces that encounter them. Some types of APLs can also damage the tracks on armoured vehicles or the tires of wheeled vehicles.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has sought to ban mines and destroy stockpile. For this purpose, it introduced in 1997 the Ottawa Treaty, which has not yet been accepted by over 30 states^[3] and has not guaranteed the protection of citizens against APLs planted by non-state armed groups.^[4]

^ ICRC (June 2006). "Anti-personnel Landmines: Friend or Foe?" (PDF). ICRC. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
^ "Types of landmines". GICHD. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
^ "The Ottawa Convention: Signatories and States-Parties | Arms Control Association". www.armscontrol.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
^ "The Mine Ban Treaty: How the world decided to bury the use of mines". Arab News. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

[1] ICRC (June 2006). "Anti-personnel Landmines: Friend or Foe?" (PDF). ICRC. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

[2] "Types of landmines". GICHD. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

[3] "The Ottawa Convention: Signatories and States-Parties | Arms Control Association". www.armscontrol.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

[4] "The Mine Ban Treaty: How the world decided to bury the use of mines". Arab News. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.

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