In Nepal, the issue of small arms is not merely a theoretical concern but a lived reality, particularly evident during the armed conflict from 1996 to 2006. During this period, a wide array of weapons, including landmines and various types of IEDs (socket bombs, pipe bombs, bucket bombs, and parcel bombs, etc.), were extensively employed. While Nepal's Arms and Ammunition Act (1963) specifically defines "mines," the practical use of IEDs, which share characteristics of small arms due to their compact size, low production costs, and ease of deployment, illustrates a broader understanding of the weapons are threating human security as well as by small arms and light weapons.

- Purna Shova Chitrakar