The Curse of the Sands
After 70 years, mines keep maiming and killing in the deserts of northern Egypt.
Some people think they can sell the mines as scrap metal or use them as cooking pots.
In an area 100 kilometers west of Alexandria in northern Egypt lies the famous region of el-Alamein—scene of a mighty battle between the UK and its allies fighting German and Italian forces for control of North Africa in 1942.
The battle marked a turning point in the war: Montgomery’s Desert Rats and his allies broke through German lines, pushing Rommel’s forces back to Tunisia, taking control of the Suez canal, and gaining access to the Middle Eastern oil fields.
With no natural barriers in the desert, Rommel ordered half a million mines to be laid around the coastal town, while the British reportedly put down even more.
