Contamination and Impact

Mines

Syria is contaminated by mines as a legacy of Arab-Israeli wars since 1948. As a result of the 1973 war with Israel, large parts of the Golan Heights in Syria’s southwestern Quneitra governorate are heavily mined. The Golan Heights is divided into three areas consisting of a Syrian-controlled area, an Israeli-controlled area, and a buffer zone—the Area of Separation (AOS)—monitored by the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). UNDOF considers all areas not cleared or marked by the UN as potentially contaminated.[1] The UN has reported that in the “area of operation, especially in the vicinity of the ceasefire line, mines continue to pose a threat to UNDOF personnel and local inhabitants. Owing to the long-term presence of the mines and the deterioration of their detonation systems, the threat has increased.”[2]

On 6 February 2010, two Israeli children were injured when a mine exploded in the Israeli-controlled area north of the Golan Heights near Mount Avital. The area is said to be very popular among Israeli tourists.[3] The family has contested the claim of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that there were visible mine warning signs.[4]

In other regions of Syria, the level of contamination is unclear. Mines are also planted along the Jordanian and Turkish borders with Syria, but it is not known if any of these mines have migrated into Syrian territory as a result of soil movement or climatic effects.[5] Mine clearance is ongoing in Jordan along the Syrian border with Syria’s consent, even though the delimitation of certain areas of the border has not been agreed between the two countries.[6]

On 15 May 2011, some 300 protesters from among a group of approximately 4,000 civilians, the vast majority Palestinians, crossed the ceasefire line, passed through an unmarked minefield, and broke through the IDF “technical fence.”[7] On 5 June, demonstrators, mostly young unarmed Palestinians, again amassed near the ceasefire line. Despite the presence of Syrian security forces, protestors attempted to breach the ceasefire line at two locations. The IDF used tear gas and smoke grenades to deter the protesters and live fire to prevent them crossing the ceasefire line. Several antivehicle mines exploded due to a brush fire apparently started by teargas or smoke grenade canisters, resulting in casualties among protesters. Syrian and Israeli fire squads and UNDOF extinguished the fire. Although UNDOF could not confirm the number of casualties during the 5 June events, up to 23 persons were reported killed and many more wounded.[8] In August 2011, there were reports of new mines being laid by Israel’s army along its border with Syria in an attempt to dissuade protesters from rushing into the Golan Heights.[9]

Cluster munition remnants and other explosive remnants of war

The Golan Heights is also contaminated with unexploded ordnance, including unexploded submunitions. The precise extent of the problem is not known.

Mine Action Program

There is no formal mine action program in Syria, no national mine action authority, and no mine action center. UNDOF carries out mine clearance for operational purposes in the AOS. Humanitarian mine clearance inside the AOS is Syria’s general responsibility, but such activities have to be approved by UNDOF. UNDOF has earlier reported that “from time to time” the Syrian military conducts limited clearance operations.[10] UNDOF has also conducted clearance for humanitarian reasons where individual mines pose a severe danger to the civilian population.[11] Clearance may otherwise be conducted in the Golan Heights under UNDOF supervision to support existing settlements, such as the building of health centers. The UNDOF Force Commander maintains close contact with the military authorities of Israel and Syria.[12]

Land Release

There has been no release of land formerly suspected to be contaminated with mines, cluster munition remnants, or other explosive remnants of war in Syria in recent years.

Mine and battle area clearance in 2010

Details of clearance by UNDOF personnel in 2010 have not been made public, although limited operational clearance activities were conducted on a regular basis.[13] Around 1,800 mines were cleared in 2009.[14] UNDOF had two explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams in 2010: one in the Australian Battalion and the second in the Philippines Battalion. Each battalion had one EOD team consisting of five persons (a team leader and four EOD operators).[15] In addition at the beginning of June 2010, under the supervision of UNDOF and following a request by the Syrian authorities for humanitarian mine clearance southwest of the village of Hadar, a civilian demining company initiated clearance through September that resulted in the production of three hectares of safe farmland for use for agricultural development.[16]

In 2011, UNDOF continued to carry out operational mine clearance and also supported two civilian mine-clearing projects.[17] In the aftermath of the two main demonstrations held close to UNDOF (see above), mine clearance was conducted by PHILBATT EOD personnel along the stretch where protesters staged their rallies and the critical areas where mines exploded during a grassfire.[18]