Landmine explosion

Documented by:

Syrian Network for Human Rights

Date: 15 / 10 / 2013

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Content

Introduction ………………………………… 3

SNHR methodology ....................................... 3

Incident details ............................................... 4

Victims of the landmine explosion ................ 5

Evidence and attachments .............................. 6

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Introduction:

On the evening of Tuesday (15-10-2013,) 3 displaced families returning to their homes to the town of Nawa were afflicted by a landmine placed by governmental forces in Tal Jumou’.

The city of Nawa contains a population of approximately 100 thousand inhabitants and is located 85 Kilometres away from Damascus and 40 Kilometres from the city of Daraa, which ultimately reigns in the Northwest of the Horan region and follows the Daraa province administratively. It is surrounded by many barracks and military checkpoints, the most important being the “concourse” (anti-tank) battalion along with the “Ishara” battalion. In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that the armed opposition have been in control of large parts of the city for over a few months.

Location on map:

Syrian Network for Human Rights methodology:

This report carried out by the Syrian Network for Human Rights team relies on thorough investigations which took place in the province of Daraa with a number of citizens and activists; which consisted of an eyewitness account recorded in the report, in addition to news and images sent to the Network by activists which they collaborate with from within the city.

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Incident details:

The incident took place on the evening of the first day of Eid al-Adha which was on Tuesday, 15.10.2013. An agricultural vehicle was transporting a number of civilians in an area known as “Tal Al-Jumou” (Small hill/hump of land named Al-Jumou) in the boundaries of Nawa. The vehicle was destroyed as a result of a landmine which was planted in that area by governmental forces along with dozens of other mines in an attempt to prevent the armed opposition forces from advancing.

Government forces then began to intentionally bombard the National Hospital in Nawa shortly after the wounded from the Jumou land mine explosion started to arrive, a number of which were in critical condition. It is worth mentioning that this hospital is suffering from a severe shortage in medical supplies due to the blockade imposed by the government forces which has now entered its third month respectively.

The following is an eyewitness account of Abo Anas Al-Hourani, who was at the scene of the land mine incident and is still alive since the Syrian Network for Human Rights made contact with him. Abo Anas can be reached via his Skype account ‘dxd_1993’.

“There were a number of displaced families who left Nawa to the town of Sahim and decided to return to Nawa on the first day of Eid. The group – which consisted of 3 families and a number of individuals – left the town of Sahim at around 10 o’clock evening in a total of 4 vehicles. It is worth mentioning that Tal Al-Jumou is an open area which is quite easy to target by the Syrian regime forces; and that was the case when the vehicles arrived at Al-Jumou, as regime forces began spraying and bombarding them with a 23 mm (heavy anti-air) machine gun. One of the vehicles, carrying around 40 people was diverted of the road as a result of the attack and landed directly on top of a land mine which exploded and caused the death of 25 people and wounded the remaining passengers. The Free Syrian Army was able to retrieve the corpses along with the wounded and take them to the Nawa National Hospital which was directly bombarded as soon as the afflicted civilians were delivered, however the damage was physical to the hospital rather than causing any victims. 2 of the aforementioned cars were able to flee back to Sahim. We then had to bury the martyrs in a mass grave in the city of Nawa.”

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Victims of the land mine explosion:

The Syrian Network for Human Rights was able to document the death of 26 citizens, including 17 children and 5 ladies, as well as a total of 14 wounded citizens.

1 – Child Younis Ahmad Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

2 – Child Ahmad Mohammad Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

3 – Noor Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

4 – Fatima Founis Bat’ha – Daraa – Nawa (wife of Mousa Al-Riyabi)

5 – Child Manar Mousa Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

6 – Child Shahd Mousa Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

7 – Child Anwar Mousa Al-Riyabi – Daraa – Nawa

8 – Nour Joudat Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa (wife of Sa’eed Al-Batal)

9 – Child Murad Sa’eed Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

10 – Child Eyad Sa’eed Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

11 – Child Mahmoud Sa’eed Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

12 – Child Taghreed Sa’eed Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

13 – Child Mohammad Sa’eed Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

14 – Child Sanaa’ Abdo Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

15 – Child Tasneem Abdo Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

16 – Child Ahmad Abdo Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

17 – Child Amani Abdo Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

18 – Asmaa’ Abdo Al-Batal – Daraa – Nawa

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19 – Mahmoud Sa’eed Al-Suweidani – Daraa – Nawa

20 – Waleed Mohammad Al-Samadi – Daraa – Nawa

21 – Child Zahraa Younis Bat’ha – Daraa – Nawa

22 – Mohammad Khair Khaleel Al-Nasr – Daraa – Nawa

23 – Child Moumin Khaleel Al-Nasr – Daraa – Nawa

24 – Child Anas Mohammad Khair Al-Nasrt – Daraa – Nawa

25 – Hamda Mahmoud Al-Jahmani – Daraa – Nawa

26 – Fareida Naji Al-Masri – Daraa – Nawa

Evidence and attachments:

Videos and images of the corpses of the martyrs of the massacre:

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Photo of some of the martyrs:

The Syrian Network for Human Rights would like to thank the: victims’ families, witnesses and media activists whose testimony, opinions and assistance has enabled to issue this report.

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