Landmine blasts claim lives of 2 children in northwest Syria
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – A seven-year-old boy was killed on Wednesday after a landmine left over from the war exploded while he was playing in a farmland area in the town of Abidin, south of Idlib in northwestern Syria.
Local sources told North Press that the child, identified as Raed Hussein Darwish, was the only son of his parents. The explosion was caused by a landmine from past military operations in the area.
Just a day earlier, another child was killed in a similar incident in Hama northern countryside. He was tending to livestock when he encountered an unexploded landmine. Despite receiving medical attention, he died from his injuries.
Local residents report that incidents involving unexploded ordnance (UXO) have become alarmingly frequent in southern Idlib and northern Hama, with children being the primary victims. The recurring danger has prompted some families to relocate back to camps in northern regions, fearing for their safety.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has previously stated that it has conducted demining operations in select areas across Syria, but emphasized that widespread contamination from explosive remnants of war continues to pose a deadly threat to millions of Syrians.