Targeting, mines stop farmers from harvesting in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Owners of agricultural lands in Idlib, located on the frontlines between Turkish-backed armed groups and Syrian government forces, suffer from the danger of mutual targeting and mines planted on both parties’ sides.
Fear
In early 2019, the government forces took control of about 2,300 square kilometers of the agricultural lands in Idlib.
About 1,500 square kilometers were left for the armed groups, where they lost about 60% of the lands they controlled, according to media reports.
Samir al-Qadi (a pseudonym), a farmer from al-Bara town in the southern countryside of Idlib, told North Press that after he was seriously wounded after being targeted while working his land last June, so he started watching his crops from afar.
Al-Qadi’s land is located on the front line, like many other lands in the region.
”The government forces do not hesitate to target any movement in the areas exposed to them, which led many farmers to abandon their lands,” he added.
Yassin al-Salim (a pseudonym), a farmer from al-Fatira town in the countryside of Idlib, expressed his joy as he could harvest his olive crop this year.
Al-Salim was harvesting at specific hours in the evening, taking advantage of weather like fog to not draw attention to himself.
He added that it took him over month and a half to harvest his crop this year, while he used to harvest in no more than a week.
Mine victims
On April 8, seven people were killed including women and children, and 3 were wounded after government forces targeted them near al-Najiya town in the countryside of Jisr al-Shughour, west of Idlib.
Zahir al-Sa’do (a pseudonym), a farmer from al-Fatira, was killed by a land mine planted on his agricultural land located on the al-Bara-Kafr Nabil road, south of Idlib.
”I lost my son, my land, and everything I collect in my life,” al-Sado’s father told North Press.
”The armed groups and government forces deliberately target us and estrange us from our lands that we depend on to sustain us,” he added.
Need for coordination
Mustafa Awad (a pseudonym), a media activist in the Idlib countryside, documented several instances of targeting by the government forces of the farmers in Zawiya Mountain and Ghab Plain.
”The targeting was by guided missiles directed at tractors and transport vehicles, which resulted in the killing and wounding of many in those areas,” he told North Press.
He pointed out that it is necessary to find a kind of ”coordination between government forces and the armed groups to allow farmers to work in their lands.”
The de-escalation zone in northwest Syria has been witnessing military escalation between the armed groups and the government forces, resulting in the killing of a number of civilians and militants in addition to the destruction it left in the infrastructure and agricultural lands.