War ordnance | Four civilians killed and injured in landmine explosion at house, south of Idlib

Idlib province: SOHR activists have documented the death of two civilians while two others sustained seriously injuries, as a landmine exploded while they were dismantling it inside a house in Marian town, south of Idlib.

Accordingly, the death toll documented by Syrian Observatory activists since early January has risen to eight, including a child who was killed in an old landmine explosion of war ordnance, in addition to the injury of 17 persons, including nine children.

It’s worth noting that civilians collect different types of unexploded ordnance to sell them. Scrap dealers buy them at a very low price, as a rocket is sold for 15 Turkish liras, an equivalent of one dollar.

Syrian Observatory activists have documented the death of 667 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 across Syria since early January 2019.

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

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.