Islamic State militants who were driven out of a city in Syria by Kurdish forces left in their wake "thousands" of land mines, killing civilians and Kurdish fighters even in their absence, Fox News reported.
Dangers persist as Kurdish forces do not have the technology to disarm those weapons, NBC News wrote.
Although ISIS fighters have been pushed out of the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah, residents who left their homes during the fighting could not return for fear of being victimized by the land mines.
About 1,000 ISIS fighters were driven out of the city by Kurdish forces. However, the jihadists planted land mines all over the city before pulling out, leaving at least 15 villages around the city uninhabitable, a local Kurdish commander said.
"There are thousands of mines," the commander, who uses the nomme de guerre Lawant Rojava, said. "They planted large mines that are easily detonated so young boys are blown to pieces."
Some mines were even masked in seemingly safe objects like soda cans which kids may pick up, he said.
He said 15 of his fighters have already been killed in the last four months while trying to deactivate the mines.
"We need help," said Rojava. "We don't have the technology or techniques to defuse them."
The men in Rojava's ranks also need help in weaponry and military gear as they rely on arms, some dating back to the Soviet era in the 1970s, to fight off ISIS militants equipped with the latest high-powered guns.
Despite their clear disadvantage in weaponry, Kurdish forces have been successful in driving out ISIS militants from some of the territories they seized in northern Syria.
Kurdish Gen. Redur Xelil said his men have already retaken some 4,600 square miles of territory from ISIS.
"We have no other choice," he said. "We are fighting for our homeland."
