Old ordnance | Landmine explosion in rural Homs kills civilian and injures another

SOHR activists have documented the death of a shepherd and injury of another due to the explosion of an old landmine in the north of Abu Qallah dam in east Homs countryside.

 

Accordingly, SOHR has documented the death of six civilians, including a child, due to explosions of landmines and unexploded shells and bombs across Syria since early 2022. In addition, 15 civilians, including nine children, sustained various injuries in the same period. Here are further details on the deaths:

 

• January 3: A young man was killed in the explosion of an old landmine nearby Sheikh Helal area in Sallamiyah countryside in north-eastern Hama.

 

• January 7: Two civilians were killed in the explosion of an unexploded “bomb” in a shop selling scrap in Taybat Al-Imam city in northern Hama.

 

• January 12: A 20 year-old man was killed due to the explosion of an old landmine, while he was herding sheep near Aabel village in the south western countryside of Homs, which is under control of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the regime-backed 4th Division.

 

• January 15: A child was killed in the explosion of an old landmine in Tab Harabash area in Deir Ezzor city.

 

• January 19: A shepherd was killed due to the explosion of an old landmine in the north of Abu Qallah dam in east Homs countryside.

 

SOHR calls on all the relevant international organisations to work on the immediate neutralising and removal of unexploded war ordnance in Syrian. Explosive remnants of war (ERW) are a serious problem that need to be addressed urgently. SOHR would like to see, as a first step, the immediate involvement of international organisation in raising the awareness of local Syrians of the dangers of ERW.

 

Syrian Observatory activists have documented the death of 665 people, including 95 women and 240 children, by mines and IED explosions and the collapse of cracked residential buildings in several areas of the Syrian territory in different areas across Syria since early January 2019.

 

Among the total death toll, there are 112 persons, including 47 and 19 children, who were killed during their search and collection of the truffle which grows in the areas that is subjected to heavy rain, and it is sold at very high prices.