Anti-tank mines |
Anti-tank mines are designed to be triggered by heavy vehicles
such as tanks. They are large
(usually bigger than a person’s shoe) and heavy (weighing
more than 5 kilos). These mines contain enough explosives to
destroy the vehicle that runs over them and as a result also
frequently kill people in or near the vehicle. Anti-tank mines
are laid where enemy vehicles are expected to travel: on roads,
bridges and tracks. |
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Anti-personnel mines
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Anti-personnel mines are triggered much more easily and are
designed to wound people. They
have less explosives and are much smaller and lighter than anti-tank
mines—they could be as small as a packet of cigarettes,
weighing as little as 50 grams. Anti-personnel mines come in
all shapes and colours and are made from a variety of materials.
They are also referred to as AP mines. |
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| Although AP mines may kill a person,
they are primarily designed to cause severe injury—a
wounded person must be assisted and this takes more of the enemy’s
time and resources. Anti-personnel mines can be laid anywhere
and can be set off in a number of ways—stepping on them,
pulling on a wire or simply shaking them. Anti-personnel mines
may also explode when an object placed over them is removed.
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