A boy, identified as 17-year-old Aref Ayesh al-Kashti from Ayyash village in western rural Deir Ez-Zour governorate, was killed by the explosion of a landmine of unidentified source while herding sheep in the badiya ‘desert’ in southern Deir Ez-Zour governorate. 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.
