Highest death toll ever | 67 civilians killed in explosions of war ordnance across Syria in April, mostly in regime-controlled areas

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 April 2023; they are as follows:

 

• Deaths: 67 civilians, including four women and ten children.

 

• Wounded people: 27 civilians, including a woman and 12 children.

 

Among the total toll, 45 civilians were killed and 11 others were injured while collecting truffle which is sold for high prices.

 

The casualties are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Regime-controlled areas: 58 fatalities, including four children and four women, and 18 injured civilians, including six children.

 

• SDF-held areas: Seven fatalities, including four child, and three injured civilians including two children.

 

• Areas controlled by HTS and opposition factions: Three injured civilians: a woman and two children.

 

• “Euphrates Shield” area: Two fatalities: two children, and two injured children.

 

Here are further details:

 

• April 1: A young man died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Al-Maydan area in the northern side of Palmyra city in eastern Homs countryside.

 

• April 1: Two civilians died due to the explosion of a landmine explosion, while searching for “truffle” eastern of Okairabat village in eastern Hama countryside.

 

• April 1: A 15 years-old child and his father from Morat town died due to the explosion of a landmine explosion that hit their motorbike near Sad Nathera (Dam) in the vicinity of Jabal Al-Boshra western of Deir Ezzor city, while searching for “truffle.”

 

• April 2: Two children died, due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Al-Karizat village near Al-Bab city eastern of Aleppo within “Euphrates Shield” areas.

 

• April 2: Two civilians of “Al-Turky” tribe died, due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in “Sad Al-Duwaizan (Dam)” in Jabal Al-Bola’as south eastern of Okairabat in eastern Hama countryside.

 

• April 2: A civilian was severely injured due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, in Tela Mashtanor in Ain Al-Arab (Kobani) countryside eastern of Aleppo, where he was taken to a hospital to receive proper medication.

 

• April 3: A young man from Al-Kharitah town west of Deir Ezzor was killed, due to the explosion of an old landmine while collecting “truffle” in Jabal Al-Bushri in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 3: Two civilians truffle hunters were killed due to the explosion of an old landmine under their motorbike, while passing by Jabal Al-Bushri area in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor. It is worth noting that one of victims was from Al-Bu’azdin tribe in Theiban town east of Deir Ezzor and the other was from Al-Bubadran village in Al-Bokamal in Deir Ezzor countryside.

 

• April 3: Two civilians, one aged 26, died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while on their motorbike in Duwaizan Dam in Okairabat area in eastern Hama countryside.

 

• April 3: A civilian from Al-Sha’itiya village in western Deir Ezzor countryside died due to the explosion of a landmine in Al-Boshra desert in western Deir Ezzor countryside, while searching for “truffle.”

 

• April 4: A young man died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while he was searching for his family that was kidnapped today by ISIS cells in Sabikhan desert eastern of Deir Ezzor, within regime-held areas.

 

• April 5: Two civilians were killed today due to the explosion an old landmine under their car, while collecting “truffle” in AL-Bushri desert within regime-controlled areas in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor. A third civilian was also killed by another landmine explosion in the same area. It is worth noting that one of the victims was from Al-Shmaytiyah villahe, while the two others were from Al-Inabah village.

 

• April 7: Five children were injured due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in a school in Al-Shaikh Maskin city in Daraa countryside, and they were taken to a hospital to receive proper medication.

 

• April 7: A civilian of “Al-Omor” tribe died and others were injured due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while collecting “truffle” in Palmyra desert in eastern Homs countryside.

 

• April 8: Six civilians died during Thursday and Wednesday, due to the explosion of landmines of war remnants while searching for truffle in Jabal Al-Omor near Palmyra in eastern Homs countryside.

 

• April 8: Two children were injured due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Al-Ghandora town near Jarablus in eastern Aleppo countryside, where the injured people were taken to Jarablus Hospital to receive proper medication.

 

• April 9: A young man and his father were killed by the explosion of a landmine, on a motorbike in Gharb Duwaizan in Salmiyah countryside eastern of Hama.

 

• April 9: Two young men were killed by landmine explosion, while searching for truffle in Duwaizan area in Salmiyah countryside eastern of Hama.

 

• April 9: Nine people searching for the truffle died and three others were injured due to the explosion of a landmine, while they were in a car in Jabal Al-Boshra desert in Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 10: An old landmine exploded in a group of truffle hunters in Duwaizan area in Salamiyah countryside in eastern Hama, killing two civilians and injuring a third.

 

• April 10: A man from Al-Tabiyah town in the east of Deir Ezzor was injured and lost his leg due to the explosion of an old landmine near the railway tracks in the town, and he was taken to the hospital.

 

• April 11: Two children were killed by the explosion of an old landmine in Jebaylah area on the outskirts of Aleppo city. The children had set a fire for heating, while they were herding sheep, which resulted in the explosion of a nearby landmine.

 

• April 11: Three civilians from Deir Ezzor countryside were killed by the explosion of an old landmine, while searching for truffle in Al-Duwayr desert in Al-Asharah countryside in Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 12: A young man died by the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while he was going to bring the remaining of the truck, which was carrying truffle hunters and exploded on April 9, in Tarif village in western Deir Ezzor countryside.

 

• April 12: A civilian died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while searching for truffle in Salmiya countryside eastern of Hama.

 

• April 14: A young man died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in the vicinity of Al-Baghiliya town in western Deir Ezzor countryside.

 

• April 14: The seven years-old child “Sham,” who had displaced from Al-Bokamal city with her family, died nearly ten days after being taken from Al-Raqqa to Al-Mojtahed Hospital in Damascus to receive proper medication after she was severely injured and lost her leg by the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Nazlat Shahada area in Al-Raqqa city.

 

• April 15: A young man died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Awosajily village in Manbij countryside eastern of Aleppo in SDF-controlled areas.

 

• April 15: A young man was killed, and his brother was severely injured due to the explosion of an old landmine, near Duwaizin area in the eastern countryside of Hama, where the injured man was taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

• April 16: A young man was killed by the explosion of an old landmine in the plains surrounding Nahteh town in the eastern countryside of Daraa.

 

• April 16: A civilian died of the wounds he had sustained in April 11 due to the explosion of an old landmine, while searching for truffle in Al-Duwayr desert in Al-Asharah countryside in Deir Ezzor province.

 

• April 18: A young man was severely injured and lost his leg due to the explosion of an old landmine, while he was riding his motorcycle searching for truffle in Al-Bishri desert in Deir Ezzor countryside. The young man, who hails from Deir Ezzor city, was taken to Al-Assad university hospital in the city.

 

• April 20: Four women were killed in Al-Bohamad village in western Deir Ezzor by the explosion of an old landmine, while collecting truffle in Al-Bishri desert in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 24: Three children were killed and another was injured by the explosion of an unexploded artillery shell in Ain Al-Abd village in Tel Tamr countryside in north-western Al-Hasakah.

 

• April 24: A woman and her two children sustained serious injuries on April 23, after the explosion of a blasting cap of an unexploded grenade in Yadama village in western Idlib, which is controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham.

 

• April 25: A member of the executive office of Deir Ezzor council died of the wounds he sustained on March 12, due to the explosion of an old landmine in Al-Panorama area south of Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 25: A young man died and three others were seriously injured due to the explosion of a landmine in Al-Barnada area in Al-Boshra desert in western Deir Ezzor countryside.the four persons hailed from Al-Jabaly village in Al-Raqqa countryside

 

• April 25:A child was injured by the explosion of an old landmine in an abandoned building near the courthouse in Deir Ezzor city. The child was taken to the hospital.

 

• April 26: A civilian died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants, while searching for “truffle” in Al-Boshra desert in western Deir Ezzor countryside.

 

• April 27: A 50-year-old man sustained serious injuries due to the explosion of an old landmine in Hatlah area in the north of Deir Ezzor. The man was taken to Al-Assad hospital.

 

• April 27: A ten years-old child died due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants in Al-Hasaweya area near Al-Sina’a in Homs, where he was taken to Al-Bassel Hospital in Al-Zahraa’ neighbourhood in the city.

 

• April 28: The leg of a young man from Hatla town in northern Deir Ezzor countryside was amputated due to the explosion of a landmine of war remnants inside a house that he was working on restoring, in Morat Fokani town in one of the seven villages held by the regime forces in eastern Deir Ezzor.

 

• April 29: Two civilians were killed by a landmine explosion while collecting truffle southern of Al-Mansora town in Al-Raqqa.

 

 

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.