Since the beginning of 2024 | ISIS remnants kill and injury 99 civilians, mostly children and women
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, have tragically killed and injured a large number of Syrian people.
Accordingly, SOHR has documented the death of 84 civilians, including 19 women and 27 children, due to explosions of old landmines, unexploded shells and bombs across Syria since early 2024. In addition, 87 civilians, including five women and 48 children, sustained various injuries.
The casualties are distributed regionally as follows:
Regime-controlled areas: 69 fatalities, including 19 women and 14 children, and 62 injured civilians, including five women and 26 children. Among this toll, 46 truffle pickers, including 18 women and a child, were killed and 23 others including four women were injured.
SDF-held areas: 14 fatalities, including 13 children, and 18 injured children.
HTS-held areas: Four injured children.
Areas where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed: A young man was injured.
Areas controlled by pro-Turkey factions in “Euphrates Shield” : a civilian was killed.
According to documentation from the Syrian Observatory that 57 civilians including nine children and 18 women were killed, in addition to 42 civilians including five women and 20 children were injured due to the explosion of landmines and IEDs of ISIS remnants in regime-held areas.
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.