A boy, identified as 12-year-old Mohammad Hassan Mahmoud al-Alloush from Um Jalal village (administratively part of al-Taman’a subdistrict in southern rural Idlib governorate, was killed on Monday, April 21, 2025, by a landmine while herding sheep in the vicinity of Um Jalal village. The area is under the control of the current transitional authorities in Syria.
This area is one of the areas that underwent shifts in control among the warring parties. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to determine who planted the landmine. The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ (SNHR) database indicates that the area was under the control of Assad regime forces during the period when it is likely that the landmines were planted.
Landmines continue to pose an ongoing threat to civilians in Syria, having caused the deaths and injuries of thousands of people over the past years. This threat persists amid the absence of serious efforts to disclose minefield maps or clear contaminated areas.
SNHR calls on the transitional government and relevant international organizations to provide the necessary equipment and resources, and to support local teams, organizations, and official entities specialized in mine and war remnants removal, in order to reduce risks and protect civilian lives.
