3 children killed and their father injured in a mine explosion north of Raqqa

The northern countryside of Raqqa witnessed a tragedy after the explosion of a mine from the remnants of war  killed 3 children and injured their father and two other children in the village of Fatsa al-Sharkrak in the Ain Issa area.

Local sources said a landmine exploded in a car carrying a family in the village of al-Fatsa in the northern countryside of Raqqa, killing three children and injuring three others.

The children killed were Hanan Khaled Ramadan, Jabal Khaled Ramadan, Mishal Khaled Ramadan, while the injured were Khaled Ali Ramadan, Barakat Khaled Ramadan, and Moaz Khaled Ramadan. They are all from the same family.

Deaths in similar incidents

Last Thursday, 4 children were killed and 3 others were injured as a result of the explosion of mines from the remnants of war inside a rainwater collection well in the village of Abu Haba in the eastern countryside of Idlib.

The Syrian Civil Defence said at the time that the explosion occurred while children were playing and throwing stones inside the well, which led to the explosion of mines in it.

Civilians on the scene treated the injured children, he said, while civil defence teams from the Idlib province's Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate worked to transport the bodies of the victims to the nearest hospital.

On the same day, the Syrian Civil Defense announced that three of its volunteers from the remnants of war removal teams were killed by the explosion of a "targeted" mine that targeted them as soon as they arrived at the reporting site, on the train track in the village of Karah in the northeastern countryside of Hama.

More than 600 mine victims after liberation

Landmines and explosive remnants of war have killed and injured more than 600 people in Syria since December 2024, Human Rights Watch said.

In a report published a few days ago, the organization warned of the ongoing threat posed by these remnants to the lives of civilians, especially those returning to their areas.

"Widespread contamination by landmines and explosive remnants of war across Syria poses a deadly risk to civilians returning to their homes," it said.

 1000 children among the dead

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented in a report the death toll of mines and cluster munitions in Syria since March 2011, confirming that at least 3,799 civilians have been killed, including 1,000 children and 377 women.

The report pointed out that the danger did not disappear with the fall  of the former Syrian regime in December 2024, but the period following the fall recorded the death of 329 civilians (including 65 children), as a result of the intensive return of displaced people to their homes and farms contaminated with waste, especially in the governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, and Hama, which topped the list of areas most affected by this hidden killer.

Civil Defense removes 29,000 unexploded ordnance

  The unexploded ordnance removal teams at the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management (Syrian Civil Defence) have been able to remove more than 29,000 unexploded ordnance from the remnants of war since the start of their activity in this field, as part of a comprehensive national effort to protect the lives of the population and ensure the return of normal life to the affected areas.

On the International Mine Risk Awareness Day, which falls on April 4, the Civil Defense revealed that the toll included the destruction of more than 24,000 cluster bombs, which are described as the "silent killer" due to their wide spread and ability to remain effective for long periods, stressing that these remnants continue to pose a constant threat that hinders stabilization and reconstruction efforts.