Teen killed by unexploded ordnance near Tuz Khurmatu

SALAH AL-DIN — A 15-year-old boy was killed after tampering with an unexploded missile in the Hamrin area, near Salah al-Din’s Tuz Khurmatu late Sunday night, according to local police.

“The explosion was caused by a leftover war missile,” said Liwa Hussein Ali, head of public police in Tuz Khurmatu, in an interview with 964media. “The area still hasn’t been fully cleared of remnants from battles.”

He added that such incidents are not new. “This is not the first time a war remnant or explosive has gone off and harmed civilians—there have been several similar cases in the past.”

The boy, a first-year secondary student, was returning home with his father, a shepherd, when he came across the device. “While moving their herd back home, he spotted the missile and began handling it,” Hussein Ali said. “It detonated, and though he was initially wounded, he died while being transported to the hospital.”

The Hamrin region sits near the final boundary between the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq. For years, it has been a hideout for ISIS militants and the site of ongoing military operations against insurgent groups. Despite regular sweeps, the area remains dangerous due to the presence of both militants and unexploded ordnance.