Munitions

Booby trap

Also known as
  • boobytraps

Booby traps are victim-activated explosive or non-explosive devices hidden to make an apparently harmless object, route, or action lethal or injurious when disturbed. Treaty law has regulated them since 1980, and Libya reporting shows they are still used to slow movement and complicate clearance after withdrawals.

Booby trap, Booby trap, Munitions
Image source: Booby Trap Gate (-166), March 1966.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2014 Second Libyan Civil War
Role in conflict
Urban area-denial booby trap

In the 2014 Second Libyan Civil War, Human Rights Watch reported mines and booby traps left behind as LAAF-linked fighters withdrew from southern Tripoli.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Locally improvised by armed groups
Built in
Various
Type
Booby trap
Service note
Modern conflicts, 2015-present
Designer
Field-improvised by armed groups
Designed
Ancient concept; modern improvised use
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
Improvised as needed
Number built
Not publicly documented

Specifications

Trigger
Disturbance, lifting, opening, contact, or tripwire activation
Concealment
Hidden in ordinary objects, entrances, homes, roads, or abandoned positions
Effect
Used to kill or injure, slow movement, and complicate clearance after withdrawal
Form
Can be explosive or non-explosive; explosive booby traps overlap with improvised explosive devices
Variants
  • Victim-activated explosive trap
  • Pressure- or tripwire-triggered trap
Related Hazards

Booby traps are easiest to read in context: they sit beside broader improvised explosive devices and mine-clearance hazards that often appear in the same reports.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Improvised explosive device, Improvised explosive device, MunitionsImprovised explosive deviceBroader explosive-device family

UNMAS says IEDs may also be referred to as improvised, artisanal, or locally manufactured mines, booby traps, or other explosive ordnance, so the broader IED page is the best comparison entry.

Sources: UNMAS IED Threat Mitigation Presentation

Landmine, Explosive ground mine, Infantry WeaponsLandmineClearance-neighboring ground hazard

HRW reported mines and booby traps left behind together in southern Tripoli, making the landmine page the most useful adjacent comparison for the Libya clearance context.

Sources: Libya: Landmines Left After Armed Group Withdraws

What Makes A Booby Trap Distinct

Booby traps are not a factory model or a single trigger mechanism. They are concealed hazards that rely on surprise, so the same tactic can appear in homes, doorways, roads, abandoned positions, or around apparently harmless objects.

FeatureReader note
TriggerDisturbance, lifting, opening, contact, or tripwire activation.
ConcealmentHidden in ordinary objects, entrances, homes, roads, or abandoned positions.
EffectDesigned to kill or injure, slow movement, and complicate clearance after withdrawal.
Legal frameCovered by the CCW booby-trap protocols adopted in 1980 and amended in 1996.
Timeline

Booby trap Key Events

  1. CCW Protocol II adopted

    The original CCW protocol established the modern treaty framework for mines, booby traps, and other devices.

    Sources: CCW Protocol II (1980)

  2. Amended Protocol II adopted

    The amended protocol tightened the treaty rules that apply to mines, booby traps, and other devices.

    Sources: Amended CCW Protocol II (1996)

  3. Libya withdrawal hazards reported

    Human Rights Watch reported mines and booby traps left behind in southern Tripoli during the Libyan Civil War.

    Sources: Libya: Landmines Left After Armed Group Withdraws

Media

Booby trap Videos

Booby trap Images

Booby trap, Booby trap, Munitions - view 1
Source: Bamboo Pole Booby Trap (-167), March 1966.jpg
Booby trap, Booby trap, Munitions - view 2
Source: This one outside is re-constructed at the same site it was in (32134111305).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Door-breaching explosive charge, Explosive breaching charge, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsDoor-breaching explosive chargeExplosive breaching chargeA door-breaching explosive charge is a portable combat-engineering entry device used by assault teams and sappers to defeat doors, locks, hardware, walls, or light obstacles with a controlled blast. Military training sources describe task-specific charge patterns such as donut, linear, silhouette, and water-impulse charges, while conflict reporting documents explosive entry use in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Gaza urban operations.
Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb, Improvised explosive device, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsMagnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bombImprovised explosive deviceMagnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bombs are close-placement explosive devices fixed to a vehicle with magnets, adhesive, or direct manual placement so the blast occurs against the hull, chassis, or wheel area. The modern conflict record is strongest for improvised sticky IEDs used against vehicles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gaza, while the older British No. 74 sticky bomb shows the same attachment concept in a purpose-built anti-tank grenade.

Sources

Landmines, Explosive Remnants of War and IED Safety HandbookPublisher: United Nations Mine Action Service | Note: Supports booby traps as explosive or non-explosive devices deliberately placed to cause casualties when a harmless object is disturbed or a normally safe act is performed; also supports common victim-activated characteristics. | Accessed: 2026-06-21UNMAS IED Threat Mitigation PresentationPublisher: United Nations Mine Action Service | Note: Supports the broader IED family context and the UNMAS terminology that overlaps IEDs with booby traps and other explosive ordnance. | Accessed: 2026-06-27CCW Protocol II (1980)Publisher: International Committee of the Red Cross | Note: Supports the 1980 treaty milestone for mines, booby traps, and other devices. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Amended CCW Protocol II (1996)Publisher: International Committee of the Red Cross | Note: Supports the 1996 amended treaty milestone for mines, booby traps, and other devices. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Libya: Landmines Left After Armed Group WithdrawsPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Second Libyan Civil War: used by Libyan National Army-affiliated fighters; HRW reported mines and booby traps left behind as LAAF-linked forces withdrew from southern Tripoli. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Booby Trap Gate (-166), March 1966.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Commons booby-trap photograph used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Bamboo Pole Booby Trap (-167), March 1966.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Commons booby-trap photograph used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-21This one outside is re-constructed at the same site it was in (32134111305).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Commons booby-trap photograph used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-21