Landmine blast in Deir ez-Zor kills 2 government personnel
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Two members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense’s demining unit, including a senior commander, were killed on Sunday when a landmine exploded during a clearance operation in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
A military source from the Defense Ministry of Syria’s Transitional Government in Deir ez-Zor told North Press that the explosion occurred while an engineering unit was attempting to defuse a landmine on the outskirts of the desert area near the town of al-Mayadin.
The explosion killed Abu al-Abbas al-Iraqi, an Iraqi national and senior commander in the military’s demining division, as well as another member of the unit.
According to the source, the unit had been working for about a week to clear landmines left behind in the Deir ez-Zor desert by previous regimes and armed groups.
Landmines and unexploded ordnance remain a serious threat across Syria, particularly in former conflict zones such as Deir ez-Zor.