Landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices: The Lingering Terror of the Islamic State

Abstract

The extensive use of explosives by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) resulted in the highest level of contamination ever documented across Iraq and Syria. This article identifies the breadth and depth of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines as tools of terror permeating everyday civilian life. Utilizing multiple data sources, it explains factors contributing to the unprecedented scale, potency, and semi-industrialized production of explosives contaminating the territory formerly occupied by the Islamic State. It concludes with a discussion on the barriers to decontamination efforts, predicting an increase in IED campaigns by armed non-state actors. It offers contributions to counterterrorism, foreign policy, and humanitarian concerns.