A 13-year-old boy, identified as Ahmad Joumaa al-Khalaf, was critically injured on August 17, 2023, by the explosion of a landmine whose source we have not yet been able to identify in al-Husayniya town in western rural Deir Ez-Zour governorate. Ahmad was forced to undergo amputation of one foot due to the severity of his injuries.
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 for protecting civilians in areas under their control, and to locate and remove landmines planted in these areas. We have documented hundreds of deaths and injuries resulting from landmine explosions, which pose a serious, long-term threat, especially to children, that will last for years to come.
