ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Residents of northern countryside of Aleppo, which is under the control of the Syrian government, fear the danger of mines left by armed opposition groups, which impedes the ability of residents to go back to their houses. The town of Hayyan is a clear example of this.
“Mines remaining in the agricultural lands on the outskirts of the town, which was previously a frontline, impedes the return of life to the town, especially after a farmer lost his life while working his land in June,” Abdo al-Beij, a resident of Hayyan, told North Press.
“The Syrian government and its security committees are responsible for solving this problem that threatens the lives of the population after taking over the area in early 2020,” he added.
Abdelhay Hamsho, a retired employee from Hayyan, told North Press: “After the government forces took control of the town, I decided to return to live in my house and rehabilitate it, but I found mortar shells in the yard of the house that have not exploded yet, as well as ammunition and hand grenades.”
The dangers of mines and missile remnants were not limited to houses, but also included factories and industrial facilities. Many owners of these facilities have not yet been able to enter their factories for fear the unexploded ordinance.
“My factory was the headquarters of the opposition groups, and I heard about [their] planting mines and devices inside the factory and its yard during their withdrawal from the area,” Abdelqader Lutfi Nahhas, owner of a factory for dyeing thread in the outskirts of the town of Kafr Hamra, told North Press.
“Although government engineering teams entered the factory and cleared the mines, I do not know how dangerous the situation is because the engineering teams do not have mine maps.”
In this regard, residents of the town complain about slow demining operations despite their repeated requests.
“The problem lies in not having maps of these mines. Rather, we rely on viewing, security information, and the use of detection devices,” Abu Ali Haddad (a pseudonym), who is responsible for the Syrian government’s demining teams in the northern countryside of Aleppo, told North Press.
“Some mines are sophisticated and cannot be revealed easily, so we work cautiously and in cooperation with the residents. We have cleared hundreds of mines, most of which were made of Turkey,” he added.