On Saturday, May 24, 2025, Ahmed Haj Ramadan and Ahmed Suleiman Al-Dakkak, members of the engineering battalion responsible for demining under the Ministry of Defense of the transitional government, were killed while attempting to defuse a landmine near the city of Al-Dumayr, east of Rif Dimashq Governorate. The attack resulted in their immediate death and the injury of another member.
According to preliminary information SNHR obtained from reliable local sources, the mine was a remnant of the armed conflict in the area, and the party that planted it has not been determined. Mine clearance teams were working at the site as part of efforts to clear residential areas, roads, and agricultural land to ensure the safety of civilians and reduce the risks posed by unexploded ordnance.
SNHR notes that remnants of war continue to pose a direct threat to the lives of civilians and mine clearance workers, with similar incidents being recorded on a frequent basis.
Legal Conclusions
- The mine explosion that killed Ahmed Ramadan and Ahmed Al-Dakkak while they were clearing and removing mines to secure the area 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 of their presence, constitutes a violation of positive protection obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular Article 10 of the Amended Protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) on mines, booby-traps and improvised explosive devices.
- 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 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 party to the conflict planted mines in the area and hold the responsible party legally responsible for negligence or deliberate action.
- Accelerating land clearance operations from mines, especially 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 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 suspicious areas, especially those under the effective control of forces on the ground.
- Implementing comprehensive local awareness campaigns targeting residents of rural areas and camps, on the dangers of mines and ways 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.
