The incident occurred near the town of Abu Al-Duhur, when the children were playing in an agricultural field where unexploded ordnance from the war remains, the Syrian Civil Defense reported.

The agency warned that unexploded ordnance, including mines, continues to pose a serious threat to the civilian population, especially children, who are often unaware of the danger. It also stressed that this contamination from war hinders agricultural work and the return of displaced families in large areas of the country. According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between January 1 and June 30 of this year, 390 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed by unexploded ordnance left over from the war in Syria.

OCHA emphasized that the presence of unexploded ordnance “continues to have a deadly impact throughout Syria,” while the Syrian Observatory for Landmines reported a 22% increase in the number of victims during 2024 compared to the previous year.

For its part, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the injury rate recorded in 2025 indicates a possible escalation of the problem.

In response to this situation, the Syrian Ministry of Emergency Situations and Disaster Management recently organized a workshop in Damascus, in cooperation with the ICRC, to discuss the creation of a national mine action center.

During the meeting, Minister Raed Al-Saleh acknowledged that explosives and mines constitute one of the greatest challenges facing the country, noting that current efforts cover only 10% of the work needed to clear contaminated areas.

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