Landmines planted by Al-Qaeda militants in Abyan have left 85 killed and hundreds wounded as an average of two landmines explode a day, local sources said.
Hundreds of families returned to their homes after the the Yemeni army could dislodge Ansar Al-Shariah, an al-Qaeda linked group, of some districts of Ayan, but they found themselves in a new suffer with widespread landmines.
Many displaced persons, even those whose houses were not affected by the conflict, preferred to not come back to Jaar and Zinjibar due to planted landmines.
De-mining teams including over 200 experts have embarked its tasks in Abayn to root up landmines, but the teams still lack modern equipment, local sources said.
Fears increased last days amid populations as reports said that sleeper cells are still operating clandestinely inside Abyan, as de-mining teams disclosed that new ant-tank landmines were planted in some areas.
The Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called on the Yemeni authorities to urgently work to reduce the fall of civilians due to landmines, explosions and ammunition, stressing that the figure of victims have recently increased.
It told Akhbar Alyawam Newspaper that its team in Aden received 19 wounded persons including 11 children who were seriously injured and that some of their organs were amputated, stressing the importance of raising awareness among population to avoid the fall of further victims.
President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi had repeatedly vowed to enable displaced people to return to their homes. However, landmines still pose as a hamper to achieve its pledges.
Approximately 200.000 persons were displaced from Abyan due to conflicts between the Yemeni army and Ansar Al-Sharia. They were forced to live in a number of schools and other government facilities in the neighboring governorates of Aden and Lahj.