RIYADH: More than 1,400 landmines planted by the Houthi milita in various regions of Yemen were cleared by a Saudi-backed demining program, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday. The ‘Masam’ demining project, run by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), dismantled 1,444 mines, including 19 anti-personnel mines, 784 anti-tank mines, 640 unexploded ordnance and one explosive device during the first week of April. The number of mines dismantled since the beginning of the “Masam” project so far has reached 330,981, according to the SPA report. The project, launched in 2018, aims to remove mines planted by the Houthi militia indiscriminately throughout Yemen, which often claim the lives of children, women and the elderly. According to human rights groups, the Houthis lay landmines randomly across Yemen, often around roads, schools and farms, in clear violation of international laws.