Landmine Hazards Claim Hundreds of Lives in Post-Assad Syria

In the three months following the fall of the Assad regime, over 200 individuals, including women and children, have died from incidents involving unexploded ordnance in Syria. As approximately 1.2 million displaced residents return to their homes, the risk from scattered landmines and munitions remains dangerously high, according to the Halo Trust, a landmine charity that reports 640 people killed or injured so far, with one-third being children. Mine action expert Mohammed Sami Al Mohammed, from the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets), noted, "No area in Syria is safe from war remnants." His assessment reflects the expansive presence of explosive remnants from 14 years of civil conflict, with significant casualties occurring in rural and urban areas hit hardest by fighting. Al Mohammed stated that it could take decades to make Syria safe, referencing other war-torn countries still struggling with similar dangers. Volunteer deminers, such as Fahd al-Ghajar, have been working tirelessly in the field, often at great personal risk. Tragically, Ghajar was killed in a mine explosion on February 21 while clearing land, highlighting the ongoing peril faced by those trying to help their communities recover.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 1,383 civilians, primarily from the Alawite minority, have been killed amid a surge of sectarian violence along Syria's Mediterranean coast. The conflict flared up last week, primarily in the Alawite heartland of Latakia, Tartus, and the neighboring province of Hama, following attacks by gunmen loyal to the deposed president Bashar al-Assad against new security forces, leading to a violent backlash. According to the Observatory, the civilian deaths resulted from "executions by security forces and allied groups," with bodies discovered in farmlands and homes, indicating ongoing unrest. The UN Human Rights Office has noted that these killings appear to be carried out on a sectarian basis. In response, Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced efforts to prosecute those responsible for the violence and has established a fact-finding committee to prevent further unlawful reprisals. Amid fears among Alawites of potential vengeance for Assad's rule, at least seven arrests linked to violations have been reported since Monday.

A wave of violence has engulfed Syria's Alawite minority, resulting in at least 1,225 civilian deaths, primarily among Alawites, since the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad in December. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports these casualties, while Human Rights Watch confirms “hundreds” have been killed in recent days due to attacks primarily in coastal areas. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, aligned with the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has promised to investigate the violence and hold accountable those responsible for the "bloodshed of civilians." Eyewitness accounts reveal horrific situations, including families executed in front of each other, with armed groups conducting house raids to determine individuals' sect affiliations. The violence has intensified amid fears of reprisals against the Alawite community, which, numbering around 1.7 million, has historically been overrepresented in the military and paramilitary forces. Human Rights Watch indicates that unidentified armed factions, following a call for general mobilisation, have launched these attacks, raising concerns about the accountability of all parties involved.