Al-Assad mines…information revealing the dangerous bomb

Mines are considered one of the most serious challenges facing Syria after the conflict that extended from 2011 until the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, which resulted in huge human and material losses.

Despite local and international efforts to remove them, the issue of mines remains present, in light of the lack of accurate maps of where they were planted.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the killing of at least 3,521 civilians, including 931 children, due to the explosion of low-cost landmines in terms of manufacturing, in addition to the injury of more than 10,000 people during that period.

Governorates emerged that were contaminated with cluster munitions and mines in higher proportions than others, such as Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah, and to a lesser extent Damascus, Daraa, and Suwayda.

This report highlights the legal, humanitarian, and psychological dimensions of mines, and focuses on the ousted regime’s responsibility for planting them, and the challenges that the new administration will face in getting rid of them.

Lebanese military expert Brigadier General Mounir Shehadeh says that the mine problem is one of the most serious issues for which international law is accountable, wondering how the new administration in Syria will deal with the remnants of the ousted regime spread throughout the country.

Shehadeh points out – in statements to Al Jazeera Net – the need to benefit from trusted officers in areas such as Aleppo and Homs, which may enable accurate maps of the locations of mines, thus getting rid of them, and allowing residents to return to their homes. If it is absent, the process becomes complicated and difficult.

He stresses the importance of providing safety for military personnel, experts, and former officials to help uncover the primary culprit in planting mines and identify the locations where they were planted.

In the same context, military and strategic expert Hassan Jouni explains that mines in Syria include anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines and unexploded ordnance, which are spread as a result of the clashes that took place in cities, on roads and in villages, which makes the process of removing them complex and requires great and coordinated efforts.

Military expert Ali Abi Raad tells Al Jazeera Net that mines are planted at a depth of between 5 and 17 centimeters underground, which makes it more difficult to discover and get rid of them.

In order to mitigate its damage, he points out that the new regime must communicate with the parties that were present on the ground during the war, including Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and groups of other countries such as Afghanistan, considering that these parties possess enormous technical capabilities, and may contribute by providing maps or providing Technical support for demining.

Abi Raad recommended that this file be referred to the United Nations, which has the expertise and specialized equipment to remove it, and has implemented similar projects in more than 60 countries, starting from Africa to the Middle East, and even in the current conflict areas between Ukraine, Russia, and the two Koreas.

As for the prosecution of Assad regime officials in light of their responsibility for planting these mines, the United Nations rapporteur against torture, Alice Jill Edwards, called on the international community and any party related to Assad’s crimes to establish a supreme court to try the officials involved in these crimes or hand them over to Damascus, according to her statements in An interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher last month.

Johnny comes back and says that there are legal mechanisms that take care of the responsibilities associated with the use of mines, which are considered an internationally banned weapon.

He believes that accountability usually begins with the direct leaders responsible for cultivating it, and may include the ousted president or the Minister of Defense.

Johnny noted that it is possible for the deposed person to argue that he does not directly interfere in field and military details – even though he is the primary official in charge of the army – justifying that the decisions to plant mines are made by field commanders.

Another aspect of the impact of mines, as noted by the specialist and psychotherapist George Abu Marhi, who considered that mines are among the most important things that leave profound effects on the psychological health of individuals, especially children and women.

He said – in statements to Al Jazeera Net – that residents of areas known for the spread of mines live in a constant state of tension and fear, as this environment causes many psychological disorders, most notably chronic anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which is reflected in the quality of their daily lives.

To address these effects, Abu Marhi stresses the necessity of providing comprehensive treatment such as behavioral and cognitive therapy, and holding workshops and educational programs that enable these people to deal with their fear. Education includes their knowledge of methods of relaxation and meditation, as well as cooperation with humanitarian organizations and influential figures on social media and the media, to provide Free psychological support and motivation for the future. (Al Jazeera Net)