DAMASCUS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Four children have been killed and eight others wounded by landmine explosions in Syria since the start of the year, a war monitor said Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said three children were killed and six wounded by mines in government-held areas, while one was killed and two wounded in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeast.

The group warned that the remnants of war pose a serious threat to civilians, especially children, who often encounter undetected explosives in various parts of the country.

In 2023, the observatory recorded 256 civilian deaths, including 81 children and 24 women, and 365 injuries, including 136 children and 20 women, from landmine blasts and other war leftovers in 2023.

Syrian state media usually blame the incidents on terrorist groups that planted mines and explosives in residential areas, roads, and farmlands before withdrawing from areas captured by the Syrian army.

The government says the militants aim to harm and scare civilians and prevent them from returning to their homes. Enditem

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