Through an official statement issued hours after the bombing carried out by the United States against the now dead leader of the Islamic State (IS), Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurashi, Unicef ​​confirmed the death of six children in the war operation.

“Six children were killed and a girl was seriously injured last night in the border town of Atme, in northwestern Syria, due to intense violence,” the document reads.

In addition, he added that due to the consequences of the climate in the region, other minors have also lost their lives in recent days.

“The escalation in violence comes amid cold weather conditions and record sub-zero temperatures in Syria and the region that also leave at least five Syrian children dead,” the statement said.

Although many are directly blaming the United States for the tragic death of these minors, the White House defends itself and holds the responsible terrorist responsible.

A senior government official maintained that the IS leader blew himself up during the operation by exploding a bomb he was carrying. “Early in the operation, the terrorist target set off a bomb that killed him as well as members of his own family, including women and children,” he said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), the US military landed in helicopters near the camps for displaced people in the town of Atme, a region of Idlib province, and then clashes broke out. Thirteen people died, including four women and three children, reported the NGO, which did not give more details about the victims.

Unicef ​​had also warned in recent days and denounced the deaths of children in Iraq, a country that borders Syria.

“Four children have died and two have been maimed during the last week as a result of incidents related to explosive devices in two locations in Iraq,” said UNICEF representative for the Middle Eastern country, Sheema Sengupta.

In this context, from the United Nations organization they have regretted that this is not an isolated incident, since throughout 2021 a total of 125 minors were affected, 73 were mutilated and another 52 lost their lives, due to explosive remains of the war and unexploded ordnance.

“Stronger concentrated efforts are needed to reduce the growing impact of these explosives, especially on children, as the number of child victims increased 67% compared to 2020,” added Sengupta.

With regard to the events mentioned, the agency has detailed that they occurred in the province of Babylon and in Baghdad while the minors were carrying out “daily tasks” . In this sense, they reiterated the need to defend child safety.

“Explosive remnants of war continue to be the main reason for civilian casualties, with children being especially vulnerable: their smaller size makes them more likely to receive the full impact of the explosion, making it even more lethal,” explained the Unicef ​​envoy. in Iraq.

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