On Saturday, September 27, 2025, two children, Zaher Mansour al-Nader and Muhammad Nader al-Nader, from the Bedouin tribes of As-Suwayda Governorate, were killed by a landmine explosion while grazing sheep in the vicinity of the 52nd Brigade near the city of al-Harak in the eastern countryside of Daraa Governorate. Please note that the area at the time of the incident was under the control of the Syrian government.
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 regime forces during a period when mines were likely planted.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering more evidence and information. Therefore, we hope that anyone with information or details related to this incident will provide it to us via our official email.
Legal Conclusions:
- The mine explosion that killed two children while they were engaged in a peaceful civilian activity (herding sheep) is an example of how the effects of conflict continue to threaten civilian lives.
- The continued presence of landmines in populated areas or close to civilian activity, without removing them or warning the population of their presence, 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 principle of the duty to warn and inform enshrined in international humanitarian law.
- The inability to identify who 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 constitutes a threat to the right to life and physical integrity.
SNHR Recommendations:
- 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 landmine clearance operations, 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 Arab Red Crescent, and the Syrian Civil Defense.
- Prepare comprehensive and updated maps of mines and remnants of war and disseminate them locally, with clear warning signs in all suspected areas, especially 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 remnants of war.
