Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh

The number of landmine and war debris victims has increased in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, which is divided into two parts: the east controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the west controlled by the interim government of Damascus.

The return of displaced people to their homes is being hindered by the minefields left behind by the previous Syrian regime and Iranian militias, which continue to claim civilian lives.

Most victims are children

According to a report by Enab Baladi, children represent the majority of landmine victims in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria. Some have resulted in death, while others have led to amputations, as in the case of the child Ali al-Naser, whose leg was amputated in the Harabesh neighborhood of Deir Ezzor city.

The child’s father called for urgent intervention from the Syria Civil Defence and the interim government of Damascus to clear the area and remove the mines planted by the fallen Assad regime.

Journalist Omar Khattab, originally from Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that mines are spread out in fields throughout Deir Ezzor, with dense presence in areas west of the Euphrates River, particularly in the Badia region of al-Bukamal, the agricultural area of al-Mayadeen, and the towns of Mohassan and al-Boulil.

He added that a significant number of mines are present in homes and farms in the seven villages east of the Euphrates, where roads and houses have been mined over a stretch of ten kilometers.

He mentioned that most of the casualties from these mines are children, with more than five children losing their lives and over 20 being injured.

The Syria Civil Defence reported that 32 civilians, including eight children and a woman, were killed, and 48 civilians, including 19 children, were injured—some seriously—due to explosions from war debris and mines between November 27, 2024, and January 5 of the current year (within 38 days).

Awaiting specialized teams

A number of residents of the city of al-Bukamal, whom Enab Baladi spoke to, expressed their fear of returning to their homes before specialized teams enter to remove mines and secure the area.

They indicated that the spread of mines in the city poses a significant concern, particularly during movement, especially given the number of homes that Iranian militias had used as bases.

A volunteer from the Syria Civil Defence in Deir Ezzor said to Enab Baladi that the teams face many challenges following the regime’s fall, including the widespread presence of mines in most provinces.

He added that efforts are underway to prepare teams dedicated to cleaning the area of war debris, noting that the prevalence of mines has obstructed the return of residents.

According to Enab Baladi’s report, engineering teams belonging to the SDF are working to clear the main road and nearby homes in the towns of Khasham and Marrat in eastern Deir Ezzor, but the widespread presence of mines is delaying the work of these teams.

During the period between November 27, 2024, and January 3 of the current year, Civil Defence teams identified 117 minefields and points containing mines in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Latakia, and Deir Ezzor.

The teams have placed warning signs around these fields and have warned civilians about them in various ways, since they are not specialized in mine removal, which is the utmost they can do at this time, according to the Civil Defence.

Journalist Fawaz al-Attiya told Enab Baladi that Deir Ezzor regions require awareness campaigns, noting that there have been calls on social media, but they are insufficient.

He mentioned that communications have been made with international organizations specialized in mine removal, but they showed no response due to the prevailing tense security conditions in the region.