On Thursday, June 12, 2025, 10-year-old Ayham Fayyad al-Suwaihin, from the city of Ma’dan, east of Raqqa Governorate, was killed by a landmine explosion while he was in the Jabal al-Bishri desert, west of Deir Ez-Zour Governorate.
This area is among the sites that have witnessed changes in control between the parties to the conflict, making determining who planted the mine extremely complex.
Legal Conclusions
- The mine explosion that killed the child, Ayham Al-Suwaihin, while he was engaged in a peaceful civilian activity (his presence in a public place) is an example of the continuing effects of conflict threatening the lives of civilians.
- The continued presence of landmines in populated areas or close to civilian activity, without their removal or warning to the population, constitutes a violation of positive protection obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly Article 10 of the Amended Protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) on Mines, Booby Traps, and Improvised Explosive Devices.
- The failure of the controlling parties to provide mine maps or place clear warning signs exposes civilians to death or injury and constitutes a violation of the duty to warn and inform stipulated in international humanitarian law.
- The inability to identify the party that planted the mine raises the issue of impunity, which requires an independent investigation and underscores the need for comprehensive documentation of remnants of war and contamination sites to avoid recurring incidents.
- The continued presence of mines in civilian areas constitutes a threat to the right to life and physical integrity.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Open an urgent investigation into the incident to determine which parties to the conflict planted mines in the area and hold the responsible party legally responsible for negligence or deliberate action.
- Accelerate land mine clearance operations, particularly in agricultural and pastoral areas close to population centers, in cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and the Syrian Civil Defense.
- Prepare comprehensive and updated maps of mines and remnants of war and disseminate them at the local level, with clear warning signs in all suspected areas, particularly those under the effective control of forces on the ground.
- Implement comprehensive local awareness campaigns targeting residents of rural areas and camps, on the dangers of mines and how to identify and avoid them, in cooperation with civil society organizations.
- Providing direct support to the families of victims, through urgent financial compensation, providing psychological and social support, and including them in assistance programs for victims of war remnants.
