Syria explosives kill and injure over 700 since Assad fall: ICRC

By AFP

More than 700 people have been killed or wounded by mines and other explosives in Syria since president Bashar al-Assad's fall in December, the Red Cross said Thursday.

"Since December 8, 2024, Syria has witnessed a tragic rise in casualties from explosive ordnance," the organisation said, recording 748 casualties between then and March 25.

This compares with the 912 casualties the International Committee of the Red Cross recorded for the entire year of 2024.

"With a growing number of displaced people returning to their locations of origin since December last year, many civilians are unknowingly venturing into hazardous areas after years away from home," said the ICRC.

The organisation said civilians face heightened risks from military vehicles and weapons stockpiles left behind by the Assad government after the army's collapse.

The United Nations says more than one million Syrians, including 800,000 internally displaced people and 280,000 refugees, have returned home since Assad's fall.

Mines and explosive remnants are scattered across much of the country after a nearly 14-year civil war that left over half a million dead and displaced more than 10 million people.

International estimates cited last month by the Handicap International non-governmental organisation indicate that one million explosive munitions were used during the war, with between 100,000 and 300,000 failing to detonate.