543 people in Syria fall victim to war remnants in first half of 2023

Introduction

Since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, about five percent of whom were victims of war remnants, according to Landmine Monitor.

The remnants of the war in Syria are considered to be one of the most dangerous legacies of the decade-long conflict. The parties to the conflict, with the Islamic State (ISIS) taking the lead, have planted IEDs and mines in areas under their control as well as in areas controlled by their enemies in order to protect themselves against attacks.

Those parties by doing so violated the international law and committed war crimes against the residents; as they did not commit to the conditions of using weapons; since they plant mines randomly, leaving hundreds of casualties yearly.

By planting mines and IEDs indiscriminately, the conflicting parties in Syria have violated the international law and committed war crimes against civilians. These actions demonstrate a failure to abide by the laws governing the use of weapons, resulting in hundreds of casualties each year.

Landmines and explosive devices pose a significant threat to the safety of civilians, particularly children, who may not know what these objects really are.

In addition to their impact on human safety, landmines and explosive devices also pose a grave danger to agriculture in Syria. This can further deteriorate the already-ravaged economy, as the costs of removing these explosive remnants of war can be very high.

The process of clearing areas of mines and unexploded ordnance in Syria is a long-term operation that may take decades of work under international supervision. In addition to the clearing, there are also accountability and investigation procedures that need to be undertaken to hold those who planted mines and committed war crimes accountable. However, the situation in Syria may be different due to the fact that it did not sign the Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Treaty), which mean that perpetrators may enjoy impunity.

This semi-annual report issued by the Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press, is based on its databases in which violations resulting from explosive remnants of war were documented in various regions of Syria, based primarily on information received directly from field correspondents, as well as news articles and reports released by the agency, testimonies from victims and their relatives, and security and human rights sources. 

Victims of war remnant

In the first half of 2023, the Department documented the killing and injury of 543 individuals, 70 percent of whom were civilians. Of those, 288 were killed and 255 were injured.

The total number of civilian casualties reached 389, of whom 206 were killed and 183 were injured. Of those, 55 children were killed and 74 others injured, and 16 women were killed and seven others were injured.

As for the military casualties of the conflicting parties in Syria, 82 were killed, and 72 others were wounded. As for Syrian government forces, 46 were killed and 39 were injured.

One member of the Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), was killed and five others were injured. Three members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) were killed and one was injured, while 20 members of pro-Iranian militias were killed and 10 were injured. Additionally, two Turkish soldiers were killed and seven were wounded. Meanwhile, 10 fighters of the SDF were killed and 10 others were injured.

The civilian victims was distributed as follows: Deir ez-Zor had the highest number of victims with 228 individuals, of whom 137 were killed and 91 were wounded, followed by Hama including 48 deaths and 39 injuries, while Homs recorded the killing of 35 and the injury of 32 others. 

In Aleppo, 39 casualties were recorded, including 18 deaths and 21 injuries, while the number of casualties recorded in Raqqa was 37 people, 15 of whom were killed and 22 were wounded. As for Hasakah, 20 casualties were recorded, nine of whom were killed and 11 were wounded.

The casualties in Idlib reached 19, including 11 dead and eight wounded. As for Aleppo northern countryside, the casualties reached 15, including four dead and 11 wounded, while in Daraa the casualties reached 15, four dead and 11 wounded.

Damascus recorded nine casualties, of whom four were killed and five were injured. In Quneitra, five casualties were recorded, one dead and four wounded, and in Suwayda, two people were killed.

Regarding the parties responsible for the victims of the war remnants they left behind, the number of casualties of the remnants of war of unknown party reached 330 people, of whom 174 were killed and 156 were injured, followed by ISIS, with 178 casualties, of whom 101 were killed and 77 were wounded, while the Turkish-backed SNA are responsible for killing three people and injuring 11 others, then the Syrian government which is responsible for killing three people and wounding five others.

As for the Turkish forces, the remnants of war that they left behind them killed three people and wounded three others. As for HTS, it was responsible for the killing of three people and the wounding of another. Iranian-backed militias came last with their landmines killing one and wounding two others.

The largest death toll of war remnants was recorded in March, most of whom were truffle hunters; the number of victims reached 156, of whom 89 were killed and 67 were injured.

In April, the number of victims reached 144, of whom 95 were killed and 49 were injured, then January, as the number of victims reached 89, with 41 killed and 48 injured.

In February, the number of victims reached 77, of whom 31 were killed and 46 were injured. In May, 41 victims were recorded, including 15 dead and 26 wounded. In June, 17 were killed and 19 were injured.

Despite the ban on the use of landmines by the international law, the conflicting parties in Syria have used them as a primary weapon to protect themselves against attacks.

Those parties, particularly ISIS, have violated international law and committed war crimes by failing to comply with the conditions governing the use of weapons. These conditions include giving warnings, educating civilians in nearby areas, installing caution signs on the borders of minefields, and providing information about how to remove them. Despite these requirements, the conflicting parties have planted mines indiscriminately, resulting in hundreds of casualties every year.

To restore safety to areas affected by remnants of war and prevent further casualties, authorities, humanitarian organizations, and concerned parties must work together to locate, record, and remove all forms of remnants of war. Awareness campaigns should also be conducted to educate people on how to recognize explosive ordnance, what to do if they find it, and how to reduce their risks. These efforts will enhance protection, support security, and promote stability.