(Previous Incident Code: R4673)

On the evening of Saturday, May 5th, 2024, artillery shelling allegedly conducted by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian forces and/or Iranian forces hit a residential neighborhood in the town of Abzimo, in the western countryside of Aleppo, killing a child and injuring his mother.

Twelve-year-old Qais Haj Shaban and his mother were transported to a hospital, where Qais died from his injuries. His mother was seriously injured. According to Syrian Civil Defense, the bombing caused significant material damage to civilian homes. Photos posted by @SyriaCivilDefe showed an enclosed yard area with a tent and mattress, as well as the damaged exterior of a residential building.

In a photo posted by Free Idlib News, Qais can be seen holding a certificate of excellence from his school. A tweet by Syrian Civil Defense explains that Qais and his mother were injured at the place of their displacement and that before his death Qais had “dreams of excelling in his school, and of returning to his home in Kafarama”, which they left to escape the conflict.

A photo posted by Mohamed Sultan shows a smiling young Qais standing in front of a whiteboard with his twin brother, Ghaith, with the caption, “May God have mercy on your soul and healing for your mother, and patience and solace to your family”. Mohamed described Qais as “a polite child, one of the first diligent students and one of those who recites the Qur’an in a single voice”. A few local sources mistakenly referred to Ghaith as the child who was killed, but based on the image used to identify who was killed, it seems likely they meant Qais.

The majority of sources that reported on this incident attributed the strikes to the Syrian regime forces, though some sources also referred to the Russian military and/or Iranian militias. A Facebook post from Mohamed Sarhan Badil specified that the shelling came from Syrian regime forces stationed at the surrounding checkpoints.