Old ordnance | Landmine explosion leaves child dead in Deir Ezzor countryside

Deir Ezzor province: A child from “Khasham” town was killed by the explosion of an old landmine, while he was herding cattle in Al-Azbah town in Deir Ezzor countryside within SDF-held areas, near the frontlines with areas controlled by regime forces and Iranian-backed militias.

Accordingly, SOHR has documented the death of 130 civilians, including 22 women and 46 children, due to explosions of old landmines, unexploded shells and bombs across Syria since early 2024. In addition, 165 civilians, including 17 women and 83 children, sustained various injuries.

The casualties are distributed regionally as follows:

• Regime-controlled areas: 106 fatalities, including 21 women and 30 children, and 108 injured civilians, including 14 women and 41 children. Among this toll, 49 truffle pickers, including a child and 19 women, were killed and 28 others, including nine women, were injured.

• SDF-held areas: 18 fatalities, including 14 children and a woman, and 32 injured civilians, including a woman and 23 children.

• HTS-held areas: Four fatalities, including two children, and 18 injured civilians, including two women and 14 children.

• Areas where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed: A man was killed and a young man was injured.

• “Euphrates Shield” area: A civilian was killed and a man and two children were injured.

• “Olive Branch” area: Four children were injured.

Among the total death toll, the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 71 civilians, including 13 children and 19 women, and the injury of 59 others, including ten women and 24 children, due to the explosions of landmines planted previously by ISIS, mostly in regime-controlled areas.