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Improvised Explosive Devices

The use of improvised explosive devices in populated areas is a major concern. AOAV are at the forefront of international efforts to mitigate the severe human suffering caused by the use of such weapons. We record how they kill, injure, and destroy the lives of tens of thousands of civilians each year. Our policy is that IEDS are unacceptable for use in populated areas and that much more needs to be done to address their harm.

6 Feb 2026

Pakistan’s long fight against suicide attacks returns to the spotlight

Resurgent suicide bombings in Pakistan highlight a persistent threat driven by militancy, sectarian violence and regional instability despite years of decline.

29 Sep 2025

Improvised Explosive Devices: A Decade of Harm (2015-2024)

On Saturday 14th October 2017, at a busy intersection in the Hodan district of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, a truck bomb exploded, killing at least 587 people and injuring hundreds more, and permanently changing the lives of thousands.

19 Jun 2025

The martyr’s logic: why provoking Iran risks a global spiral of violence

Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh, a 13-year-old Iranian boy who blew himself up beneath an Iraqi tank in 1980, became the Middle East’s first modern suicide bomber. He also became an icon of martyrdom whose legacy still shapes Iran’s strategic culture and reminds us of the grave dangers of provoking Tehran into full-scale war.

9 May 2025

The war without front lines: how IEDs are the greatest existential threats to some States in West Africa today

A quiet war is engulfing West Africa, where improvised explosive devices are devastating communities, dismantling state authority, and threatening to unravel entire nations through a deadly combination of terror, displacement, and institutional collapse.

veterans, bladder cancer, British Army, explosive ordnance, occupational health, bomb disposal, Ministry of Defence, TNT, nitrobenzene, AOAV

25 Mar 2025

Bomb disposal veterans face significantly higher risk of bladder cancer: new study raises urgent concerns about occupational exposure

A new study reveals British Army bomb disposal veterans face a fivefold increased risk of bladder cancer due to prolonged exposure to explosive chemicals like TNT.

dual-use devices, booby traps, International Humanitarian Law, civilian casualties, Lebanon conflict, proportionality, distinction, healthcare systems, accountability, war crimes, Human Rights Watch, United Nations, Hezbollah, Israel, explosive weapons, ethical concerns, policy recommendations, civilian harm, impunity.

22 Dec 2024

AOAV’s briefing note on… targeting dual-use electronic items

The targeting of dual-use electronic devices as explosive booby traps in Lebanon has caused indiscriminate civilian harm, violated International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and underscored the urgent need for accountability and stronger protections against such tactics.

explosive weapons, civilian harm, data collection, humanitarian impact, Political Declaration, conflict zones, civilian protection, military accountability, indirect effects, civil society

30 Sep 2024

Is data collection on explosive weapons the key to protecting civilians?

This article explores how data collection on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is critical for protecting civilians and implementing the commitments made in the 2022 Political Declaration.

armed violence, explosive weapons, civilian harm, conflict zones, humanitarian impact, arms trade, UK defence, war reporting, casualty tracking, human rights, military accountability, public health and violence, post-conflict recovery, disarmament, international humanitarian law, AOAV, weapons regulation, urban warfare, conflict data analysis, security policy

9 Nov 2023

A Decade of Mass Civilian Casualty Events from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)

AOAV's report documents the profound impact of the 100 deadliest IED attacks over the past decade, indicating a pressing need for global policy change to address the ongoing threat.

9 Nov 2023

Une Décennie de Grandes Pertes Civiles Due à des Engins Explosifs Improvisés (EEI)

AOAV a mené une étude complète examinant les 100 événements les plus meurtriers pour les civils causés par des EEI dans le monde entier entre 2013 et 2022.

18 Oct 2023

Understanding and mitigating the impact explosions outside conventional warfare: a UN First Committee side-event by AOAV

This side-event presented comprehensive data on global explosions, dissect the harm caused by IEDs, evaluate UN's counter-IED efforts, and highlight recent research into civilian blast injuries in urban settings.

12 Oct 2022

How to Address the Harms from IEDs

In this paper, we explore these four recommendations, show evidence that they are at the core of addressing the IED threat and offer ways forward for the EOD community.

30 Aug 2022

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on extremist groups’ use of Improvised Explosive Devices

Based on IED data collected over the last decade, AOAV finds that, globally, incidents of IED attacks decreased by 12% from 2019 to 2020.