Four minors were injured in a mine explosion in a village in the northern Syrian canton of Kobanê in western Kurdistan. This was reported by the press office of the security forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Asayîş). According to the report, the detonation occurred on Sunday in the village of Şiyûx (Shuyukh Tahtani), about 35 kilometers southwest of the canton capital Kobanê, where the children were grazing a herd of animals. There is currently no information on the severity of their injuries. They are being treated in a hospital.

According to the Asayîş, the explosion was triggered by an explosive device left behind by the terrorist organization ISIS. Home-made explosive devices are among the ISIS' most notorious weapons. The jihadist militia used them on a large scale in 2014 during the siege of Kobanê, but also repeatedly to terrorize the civilian population. In Kobanê, the ISIS also suffered its first, but above all decisive defeat.

Areas contaminated by explosive weapons

In the autonomous region of northern and eastern Syria, deadly detonations of landmines and improvised explosive devices occur time and again, especially in the Shehba area. Death often lurks by the wayside, as ISIS has contaminated entire swaths of land with explosive weapons during its retreat. Large areas have already been cleared, but the cleanup is hampered by ongoing attacks by Turkey and its occupation militias.