GAZIANTEP, Turkey — After the losses incurred by the Islamic State (IS) in the battle of Raqqa that began June 6, the group’s most prominent stronghold in Syria, and the withdrawal of its forces to the city of Deir ez-Zor, adjacent to the Iraqi border, IS fighters sought to plant land mines, booby traps and explosives on the main and bypass roads in Deir ez-Zor, to prevent the infiltration of civilians who were hoping to escape its grip.

Since July 2014, IS has controlled most of the area of Deir ez-Zor city in eastern Syria. It has deployed checkpoints and patrols at the city’s entrances and exits, and imposed strict sanctions to prevent civilians from leaving the province. Thus, those fleeing had to risk their lives and rely on local smugglers to flee the city despite the large amounts of money they had to pay.

The journey is not as easy as the smugglers make it look. The Justice for Life Organization documented June 2 the death of 72 civilians killed in a mine or land mine explosion between Jan. 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017, including seven women, 19 children and 46 civilians.

The Justice for Life Organization is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization founded in March 2015 to document human rights violations and promote the culture of human rights.