The deadly landmine legacy of Syria’s war

Landmines and unexploded ordnance from the Syrian civil war pose a deadly legacy for civilians returning home after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. An estimated 300,000 active explosive devices remain scattered across the country, leading to frequent casualties, particularly among children in former frontline areas like Idlib. Since Assad's ousting, over 1,600 people have been killed or maimed by these remnants of war, which were planted by both government and rebel forces. Humanitarian organizations like the Halo Trust are engaged in the painstaking process of demining, but the scale of contamination is enormous and the country's decimated health facilities struggle to care for victims.