On Monday, May 5, 2025, Anas Khaled Haimoud, a 15-year-old boy from the town of Khan Arnaba in Quneitra Governorate, was killed by a landmine explosion while he was herding sheep in the eastern part of Khan Arnaba. It should be noted that the area is under the control of the transitional government at the time of the incident.
Determining who planted the mine is extremely complex. According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights through field sources, the area was under the control of Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces during a period when mines were likely planted.
Legal Conclusions
- The mine explosion that killed a child while he was engaged in a peaceful civilian activity (herding sheep) is an example of how the effects of the conflict continue to threaten 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 on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (CCW).
- The failure of 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 under international humanitarian law.
- The inability to identify the party that laid 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 poses a threat to the right to life and bodily integrity.
Recommendations by SNHR
- An urgent investigation should be launched into the incident to determine which parties to the conflict planted mines in the area, and the responsible party should be held legally liable 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 explosive 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.
- Provide direct support to the families of victims through urgent financial compensation, psychosocial support, and inclusion in programs to assist victims of explosive remnants of war.
