War in Syria killed 3,700 in 2021, lowest annual toll in decade: Monitor
The conflict in Syria killed 3,746 people in 2021, a monitor said on Wednesday, significantly fewer than in 2020, which had already seen the decade-old war’s lowest death toll.
According to figures compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,505 of them were civilians and among those 360 were children.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The figure is by far the lowest tally since the start of the war in Syria and confirms a downward trend that saw 6,800 people killed last year and just over 10,000 in 2019.
The Observatory, an NGO based in the UK but with a network of sources in all regions of Syria, said 297 people were killed in 2021 by landmines and various explosive remnants.
The Landmine Monitor said in November that Syria had overtaken Afghanistan as the country with the highest number of recorded casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war.
The fighting, which erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government protests, has abated over the past two years.
Russian-backed government forces still sporadically strike targets in the northwestern rebel enclave of Idlib but a ceasefire deal has largely held.
Fighters from the ISIS extremist group who went underground after being crushed in 2019 have also carried out deadly hit-and-run attacks in eastern Syria.
The war in Syria has killed close to half a million people and spurred the largest conflict-induced displacement since World War II.
Read more: Israel's intelligence minister says Syria must not have chemical weapons
Also Read
-
UK reveals it shot down drone over Syria’s Al-Tanf housing US troops
“This unprecedented event was the first operational air-to-air engagement conducted by an RAF Typhoon, and also the first RAF air-to-air missile firing during Operation SHADER – the UK’s contribution to the Global Coalition against Daesh,” a statement from the ministry read. Middle East -
Israeli missile strike kills soldier in Syria: Syrian state media
An Israeli air strike killed a soldier in southern Syria on Thursday, Syrian state media reported, in an attack in a frontier area where Israel has ... Middle East -
Syrian soldier killed in Israeli missile attack on southern area
Syria’s military said Israeli rockets hit army posts in the country’s south early Thursday, killing one soldier and causing material damage.State ... Middle East -
Two drones aimed at US military base in Syria intercepted
Two drones heading towards the US al-Tanf military base in Syria were intercepted, according to an Al Arabiya correspondent.For the latest headlines, ... Middle East -
Syria approves $5 bln budget for 2022 as crisis bites
Syrian lawmakers have approved a draft budget for 2022 of $5.3 billion, down from $6.8 billion this year, as a spiraling economic crisis hits public ... Middle East -
Israel's intelligence minister says Syria must not have chemical weapons
Israel's intelligence minister said Tuesday that Syria cannot be allowed to obtain chemical weapons, after a report emerged that Israel targeted the ... Middle East -
US-backed Syria forces say 5 ISIS suspects killed in raid
Syrian Kurdish-led forces said Monday their ant-terrorism unit, with US-led coalition support, killed five suspected ISIS fighters in a raid to break ... Middle East -
Israel hit chemical weapons facilities in Syria over past two years
Israel twice struck chemical weapons facilities in Syria over the past two years in a campaign to prevent Syria from renewing chemical weapons ... Middle East -
US forces ‘kidnapped civilians’ near Deir al-Zor: Syria state media
US forces carried out a “large airborne operation” near Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria on Monday at dawn, Syrian state news agency SANA said.The ... Middle East
