On Monday, September 23rd 2024, at least four civilians, including a woman and two children, were reportedly killed and several civilians were injured following an alleged Israeli attack in the town of Yahmar Al-Shaqif in al-Nabatieh governorate of southern Lebanon.

The exact number of casualties was not widely reported, however based on the number of names reported as dead, Airwars estimates that at least four civilians were killed. Several sources reported that Mohammed Nabil Aliq, a young boy with Down Syndrome, was killed alongside his younger brother, Mahdi Nabil Aliq. Mahdi was initially reported missing but later confirmed dead after his body had been recovered. Other reported fatalities include Fatima Hussein Aliq and Sergeant Jamal Mohammed Jaber who was in the Southern Intelligence Directorate of the Lebanese Army. However, because the Lebanese Army is not a party to the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli Military, and based on the circumstances of the incident Sergeant Jamal was likely in a civilian context at the time, he has been listed as a civilian in Airwars’ assessment.

Most sources did not provide details on injuries, however, the Emdad Committee posted a message wishing a “speedy recovery to the wounded,” indicating that some individuals were injured in the attack.

Family and friends mourned the victims on social media, sharing pictures and tributes. A photo collage shared amongst others by Facebook users Maraya Yohmor and Mariam Lchab featured images of the deceased. Fatima Hussein Aliq’s name was listed among Mohammed and Mahdi’s names in a post by Jawdat Olleik, and her picture was included in several collages, showing her in a coloured hijab.

Several posts focused on the loss of the two brothers, Mohammed and Mahdi. Kita3 al Shkif expressed his grief on Facebook, writing, “The kind-hearted, well-mannered scout, Mohammed Aliq, and his budding brother, Mahdi Aliq, join the ranks of happy scouts.” He further shared a picture of the brothers in scout uniforms of a Hezbollah-affiliated scout group, which was also shared in several of the above-mentioned photo collages. As there is no indication of militant activities in addition to his young age, Mohammed has been counted as a civilian. Fadwa Chmayssany posted on Facebook that after a difficult search, the relief team finally retrieved Madhi’s body from the debris, sharing a picture of the boy wearing sunglasses. Another photo shared by Facebook user Hsen.oliek showed Mahdi wearing a collared shirt and dark green pullover.

The Emdad Committee shared a tribute to Mohammed, referring to his disability and noting that he “did not understand the meaning of war.” In their post, Mohammed is seen wearing a shirt with the organisation’s logo, standing in front of a waterwheel at what appears to be an amusement park. Abbas Hamze also paid tribute to Mohammed on Facebook, describing him as “loved by everyone, young and old, Hamourdi is a scout, the love of his heart is the scout and the party, whenever there is a flag, he carries it and wherever there is a march he is the first one to walk in it.” Abbas shared images of Mohammed in his scout uniform and a uniform with the Tyre Civil Defense logo as well as a picture of his body wrapped in shrouds, with a Hezbollah flag laid on top.

People also grieved the death of Jamal, writing personal tributes and sharing pictures of the middle-aged man. On their Facebook account, the Retired NCOs – Security Forces posted: “With great pride and honor, the Lebanese Army Command announces the martyrdom of the hero Sergeant Jamal Muhammad Jaber from the Southern Intelligence Directorate,” adding a picture of him holding a cake. The same picture was also shared by Mawke3yuhmourechakif on Facebook.

Pictures shared by CivilDeffence.Yohmor.alshaki on Facebook showed the funeral of some of the deceased, posted under the heading “Participation of the Civil Defense team – the Authority from the Yahmar Al-Shaqif Volunteer Center, in cooperation with the Islamic Message Scouts Association, in transporting bodies of the town’s martyrs.” The photos showed how bodies were brought to the cemetery, people gathering around the deceased wrapped in shrouds and paying their tributes when the bodies were buried.

No specifics on the form of attack were provided. Although some sources referred to an “attack,” no details were mentioned and no images of the site or the destruction were shared that could provide further context.

Where sources identified a belligerent, the attack was attributed to the Israeli military. Twitter/X user @EmJado2012 wrote that the casualties were “targets of Israel,” while CivilDeffence.Yohmor.alshaki reported on Facebook about an “Israeli attack.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.