On March 29, 2023, five civilians (four women and one young man) were killed, and four others were wounded, by a landmine whose source we have not been able to identify that exploded under the car they were travelling in in Rud al-Wahsh village as they travelled through the Syrian Badiya (desert area) eastern suburbs of Homs governorate on their way to collect desert truffles. The area is under the control of Syrian regime forces. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) is still trying to locate eyewitnesses to obtain more information about the incident.
We call on the controlling forces to uphold their responsibilities to protect civilians in their areas, and to locate and remove landmines planted in these areas. We have documented hundreds of deaths and injuries resulting from the explosions of landmines, which pose a long-term, serious threat, especially to children, which will last for years to come.
