Living among landmines: Residents' risky return to villages on Syrian-Iraqi border • FRANCE 24

Key Concepts

• Anti-personnel mines: Explosive devices designed to kill or injure enemy combatants.
• Unexploded Ordnance (UXO): Military munitions that have been fired, dropped, launched, or otherwise delivered but remain undetonated.
• Mine Clearance: The process of detecting, identifying, and removing explosive hazards from an area.
• Risk Awareness Classes: Educational programs designed to inform individuals, especially children, about the dangers of explosive remnants of war and how to stay safe.
• Displaced Persons: Individuals forced to leave their homes due to conflict or persecution.

The Invisible Danger in Dear Azor

The region of farmland and desert around the seven villages in Dear Azor is plagued by an invisible danger: remnants of war, primarily anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Venturing off paved roads carries severe consequences, as tragically illustrated by the experiences of 16-year-old Omar and his 8-year-old nephew.

Case Study: Omar and his Nephew

Omar recounts a devastating incident where he and his nephew were walking, and an explosion occurred. Omar’s leg was severely damaged, and his nephew lost a leg and an eye. The immediate aftermath was marked by fear and isolation, as no one dared to approach for help, fearing further explosions. Fragments found at the scene confirmed the presence of an anti-personnel mine. Omar, who thought he knew the area well, is now traumatized and unable to work or walk, expressing deep hatred for the landscape that has taken so much from him.

Blame and Displacement

Omar's father, Basm, blames the military for the incident. He states that soldiers were seen marching in the area, and they proceeded to walk there believing it was safe. However, he alleges that the army knew the area was mined but failed to warn residents. It was only after several mine explosions that residents were questioned about entering minefields. The family was forced to sell all their possessions to fund the treatment for the two boys.

A Polluted Landscape

The Seven Villages region, situated along the Euphrates River, has been ravaged by successive conflicts. It was occupied by the Islamic State group, Bashar al-Assad's army with its Iranian and Russian allies, and subsequently came under the control of Kurdish forces. Each occupying force left behind a legacy of war debris, UXO, and minefields, often unidentified by the local population, creating a landscape fraught with peril.

Mine Clearance Operations by Handicap International

A team of deminers from Handicap International is the sole organization currently operating in the region. For their security, they remain anonymous. They describe how residents approach them with reports of unexploded mines near their homes.

Emergency Response and Destruction

The deminers recount an instance where a mine was found on the side of the road, prompting an immediate emergency operation. Upon assessment, they discovered it contained an explosive charge, making it particularly dangerous, especially for children. Thousands of such munitions, whether on the surface or buried, contaminate homes, roads, and fields. These are destroyed in secluded ditches using a localized pyrotechnic device to trigger combustion or explosion. The team also notes that areas like the railway line, stretching for about 7 km, are heavily mined and could take over 5 months to clear completely. However, their current priority is targeting residential areas as displaced people begin to return.

Increasing Incidents and Risk Awareness

With the fall of Bashar al-Assad, displaced people are returning to their homes, leading to a surge in accidents. Between December 2024 and October 2025, Handicap International recorded nearly 310 victims in the province of Dear Azour alone. This figure represents approximately a quarter of all civilian victims of explosive remnants of war nationwide.

Educational Initiatives for Children

In response to the rising number of incidents, the NGO has initiated risk awareness classes, with a particular focus on children. Through simple exercises, these young children are taught essential reflexes for navigating this dangerous environment.

Case Study: Amar

Ten-year-old Amar is one of the pupils in these classes. He lost his leg a few hundred meters from his home. His family had returned to their home, which had been used as an arms depot by the Assad regime. The military had blown up the building before evacuating, scattering live ammunition. Amar went out looking for his cousins and found them playing with an explosive device. One of them picked it up and began hitting it with a stone, causing wires to emerge. He picked it up again, and it exploded. This incident occurred five months prior to the video. Amar's family had only been back for less than two weeks after seven years in exile, having left everything behind for their children's safety. Tragically, on the day of their return, Amar's grandson, Khaled, was holding the mine and died. Another child lost a finger, and a third was more seriously injured and lost a leg.

The Long Road to Recovery

Despite the inherent dangers, families are returning to their region with the hope of rebuilding their lives. However, the process of clearing the area will take years, especially given the persistent uncertainty of the security situation.