"Landmines placed decades ago by the Turkish military have killed at least three civilians trying to flee Syria and injured at least nine others," a statement published on HRW's website said.
The human rights watchdog noted that Turkey laid the landmines back in 1950s in a bid to avert illegal border crossings. It stressed that thousands more refugees are bound to fall victim to the landmines as the violence in Syria continues.
"To prevent further casualties and protect civilians, Turkey should undertake immediate efforts to safely relocate over 2,000 Syrian refugees remaining in the minefield and educate the refugees about the risk posed by the landmines," HRW urged.
Syria/Turkey: Landmines Kill Civilians Fleeing Kobani http://t.co/78bAZXOdtk
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) 2 декабря 2014
It also added that Turkey should remove all landmines on its territory as more civilians would likely cross into the country.
Steve Goose, HRW arms director and chair of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, was quoted in the statement as saying that "Turkey has the capacity to clear its minefields and should clear them immediately."
"To fall victim to a landmine after losing your home and fleeing your country is a fate no one should have to endure," Goose added.
Thousands of civilians have fled Syria since September where Islamic State has strengthened its positions, in the town of Kobani.
Syrian refugees form an even bigger number when counted from the onset of unrest in the country in 2011. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 3 million Syrians have crossed Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq alone since 2011.
