Mine left by Islamic State militants kills 24 in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria's state news agency says a land mine left by the Islamic State group has struck a van packed with workers, killing 24.

SANA said the explosion on Sunday near the central town of Salamiyeh was caused by explosives left behind by the militants when they controlled the area. A mine exploded in a nearby area earlier this month, killing seven people.

IS has been driven from virtually all the territory it once held in Syria and neighboring Iraq, but the extremists left behind countless bombs and booby traps, and large areas have yet to be cleared.