Old man killed in landmine blast in western Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – An old shepherd lost his life on Thursday in a landmine explosion, likely left behind by the Islamic State (ISIS), in a town in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
A local source from the town of al-Masrab in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor said, “An elderly man named Kawan al-Khalil, 62, lost his life when a landmine left behind by ISIS exploded while he was grazing sheep on the outskirts of the town’s desert.”
The source added that al-Khalil hails from the town of al-Bogeleyyah in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor and lives in the desert of al-Masrab to graze his sheep.
The source stated that al-Khalil was trying to dismantle the mine for fear of his sheep, according to shepherds who were with him.
War remnants spread widely in Deir ez-Zor countryside, as it was the last stronghold of ISIS. Locals have appealed to international organizations to remove these mines but to no avail.