The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

War ordnance casualties in February 2023 | 53 truffle pickers among 76 civilians killed and injured across Syria

SOHR renews its appeal to all relevant international bodies to urgently address the problem and remove old, unexploded ordnance from Syria

War ordnance, such as old landmines and unexploded IEDs, bombs, shells, projectiles, grenades, etc. which are everywhere in Syria, continues to pose a threat to the safety and lives of innocent Syrians. These explosive remnants of war (ERW), which had been planted by military formations across the entire Syrian geography for over 11 years, have tragically killed and injured a large number of Syrian people.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked the issue of explosive remnants of war and documented all the casualties in explosions of old landmines and unexploded ordnance across Syria in February 2022; they are as follows:

 

  • Deaths: 21 civilians, including a woman and three children.

 

  • Wounded people: 55 civilians, including a woman and 13 children.

 

Among the total toll, 15 civilians were killed and 38 were injured while collecting truffle which is sold for high prices.

 

The casualties are distributed regionally as follows:

 

  • Areas controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and opposition factions in Idlib: Two injured children.

 

  • Regime-controlled areas: 21 fatalities, including three children and a woman, and 50 injured civilians, including eight children and a woman.

 

  • SDF-held areas: One injured child.

 

  • “Peace Spring” area in north Al-Raqqah countryside: Two injured children.

 

Here are further details:

 

  • February 3: A child was injured by the explosion of an unexploded object, while he was collecting used plastic objects in Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhood in Aleppo city. The child was taken to the hospital.

 

  • February 5: 22 civilians were injured, some seriously, in the explosion of an old landmine in two trucks, while searching for truffle in Al-Mazraq area, to the west of Halihelah area between Al-Sukhnah and Palmyra cities in the eastern countryside of Homs.

 

  • February 6: A young man sustained serious injuries in the explosion of an old landmine while searching for truffle near Halihelah area in Al-Sukhnah countryside in Homs desert. The man was taken to the hospital.

 

  • February 11: A civilian from Al-Tah town in Idlib countryside lost his leg due to the explosion of an old landmine, where he was taken to the hospital.

 

  • February 11: A child from Al-Sha’fa town sustained serious injuries and lost his fingers due to the explosion of an old landmine, while searching for truffle in Al-Sha’fa desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

  • February 11: Two little sisters were injured by the explosion of a grenade, while they were playing with it in their house in Termanin town in the northern countryside of Idlib.

 

  • February 13: A civilian was killed by the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Al-Mari’iyah village in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside in regime-held areas.

 

  • February 16: A young man and his mother were injured due to a landmine explosion of war remnants in Al-Dawara area in Homs, and they were taken to Karam Al-Louz Hospital in Homs to receive first aids.

 

  • February 20: A child was killed and another was injured by the explosion of a metallic object of war remnants while they were playing with it. The incident took place in Al-Duweyr desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor in areas controlled by regime forces and Iranian militias.

 

  • February 23: An eleven-year-old child was killed and two others were injured due to explosion of an old landmine in Al-Hasasniyah area in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

  • February 24: Three children were injured after being hit by shrapnel due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants near the old Daraa customs in Daraa Al-Balad, where they were taken to Daraa National Hospital to receive proper medication.

 

  • February 25: A child was killed and a man was injured in the explosion of an old landmine in Al-Shawla area in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor, while they were searching for truffle.

 

  • February 25: A firefighter was killed in the explosion of an old landmine, while he was extinguishing a fire in a factory in the industrial area of Al-Layramoun in regime-controlled areas in Aleppo city.

 

  • February 26: Three young men were killed in the explosion of an old landmine, while searching for truffle in Al-Kashmah desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, which is controlled by regime forces and Iranian-backed militias.

 

  • February 26: Two brothers from Al-Qasr village in northern Al-Suwaidaa were killed in the explosion of an old landmine in Al-Suwaidaa desert, while heading on a motorcycle to Qaa Al-Banat area.

 

  • February 26: A nine-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother sustained serious injuries due to the explosion of an unexploded projectile in Al-Layl alley in Tel Abyad city which is controlled by “Peace Spring” operations room in the north of Al-Raqqah province. The two children were taken to the hospital.

 

  • February 27: Ten civilians, including a woman, were killed and 14 others were injured due to the explosion of an old landmine in the eastern countryside of Salamiyah in east Hama countryside, while they were searching for truffle.

 

  • February 27: A civilian from Al-Jabba town in Yabrod area in Rif Dimashq was killed and his son was severely injured in the explosion of an old landmine in their car, while searching for truffle in Al-Sukhna desert in Homs countryside.

 

 

SOHR renews its call on all international organisations to work on removing unexploded war ordnance across Syrian immediately and to address the problem appropriately, especially since all warring parties throughout Syria continue to plant IEDs and landmines. SOHR also calls upon international organisations to adopt a strategy to raise the residents’ awareness about the threats of old ordnance which may have been planted in abandoned buildings as well.