Anti-tank mine (unrelated to article) [TASS Yonhap News]

U.S. media reports suggest that mines were dropped in Iran, with which the United States is at war.

Images showing mines scattered in residential areas in southern Iran have been posted on social networking services (SNS), and experts have confirmed that these are U.S.-made 'BLU-91/B' anti-tank mines, the Washington Post (WP) reported on the 27th (local time).

The mines were reportedly dropped from aircraft using the U.S. "Gator mine scattering system," an air-dropped cluster bomb deployment system, the newspaper said.

If this mine deployment is confirmed, it would be the first use of anti-personnel mines by the U.S. military in actual combat in about 20 years, as the last instance was during the war in Afghanistan in 2002, WP reported.

According to WP, the mine photos released on SNS were taken on the outskirts of Shiraz in southwestern Iran. An Iranian ballistic missile base is known to be located near this city. Therefore, the mines appear to have been dropped to disrupt the movement of Iran's mobile missile launchers and impede access to missile bases.

Brian Castner, a weapons investigator for Amnesty International, pointed out to WP that although the mines deployed by the U.S. are anti-tank mines, they can also pose a danger to civilians.

In relation to this, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Telegram that at least one person was killed and several others were injured by an explosive device resembling a metal can, and there is speculation that this could be damage caused by mines.

The U.S. Central Command, which is leading the attacks on Iran, declined to comment on the use of mines, WP stated.