On Wednesday, the vehicles and members of the International Mine Action Task Force (ITF) organization, which specializes in demining, were robbed and looted by an armed group in the countryside of the town of Al-Shaddadi, south of Al-Hasakah. 

A member of the organization and an eyewitness to the incident (who preferred not to be named) said, “Five armed and masked men riding two motorcycles stormed their workplace in a village called (Jand and Anad), which is about 17 km south of Al-Shaddadi.” 

He added in a phone call to North Press, “The gunmen opened fire over our heads. We were 12 people. Some of us fled while others remained. This was while we were preparing to start work after the breakfast break at around 10:00 am.” 

He stated that the gunmen seized mine clearance equipment in addition to stealing an ambulance and members’ mobile phones at gunpoint, without injuring any of the organization’s employees. 

He pointed out that the organization’s members are accompanied daily by 4 cars, two of which are used to transport members, in addition to an ambulance and a Kia car carrying mine clearance equipment, according to North Press.