Civilian casualties in landmine blast in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Four workers died and several others were injured on Wednesday due to a land mine explosion near the city of Khan Sheikhoun west of Idlib, within areas held by Syrian government forces.
The presence of civilians near the areas that previously witnessed conflict poses a threat to their lives in light of the absence of awareness campaigns on how to deal with landmines and other unexploded war remnants.
A field source said that a landmine exploded near a car that was transporting a number of workers to agricultural lands near the town of Kafr Sijnah, west of Khan Sheikhoun.
In July 2019, the United Nations warned that the lives of more than ten million Syrians were at risk due to their presence in areas planted with mines and remnants of war.
The source told North Press that the explosion killed four workers and injured others, some critically, though source was not able to determine their exact number.
According to the same source, the victims of the explosion came from the city of Soran in the northern Hama governorate, and were harvesting olives in Idlib governorate.
In the middle of August, four people were killed and five others were wounded when a mine exploded among agricultural lands near Khan Sheikhoun.
Last year, the region witnessed violent battles between opposition groups and Syrian government forces, which ended with the Syrian government forces taking over Khan Sheikhoun and nearby towns.