Conflict

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

TS788

Location

الخاتونية, Khatouniya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.946066, 38.892031
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: November 21, 2025

On Saturday, 8 February 2025, the village of al-Khatuniya – in the vicinity of the town of Al-Jarniya in western Raqqa – was struck in an attack that local outlets consistently attributed to Turkish forces. Multiple reports, including Syria Maskana, Hawarnews, Ronahi and liveuamap, identified Mohammed al-Ahmad al-Murad as the civilian who was mortally wounded in the incident alongside other wounded civilians. The victim was reportedly evacuated to medical care in Tabqa and later died of his wounds.

In particular, Hawar News reported, referring to its correspondent, that the random shelling on the mountain and the surrounding villages resulted in the injury of citizen Muhammad Al-Murad from the people of the village of al-Khatuniyah, northeast of the city of al-Jarniyah, and he was subsequently transferred to Tabqa hospitals to receive treatment. Despite the medical intervention, died due to his severe wounds.

Hawar News also shared an image of the victim. He was a middle-aged man with a grey beard, wearing a beige shirt and a white headscarf.

Al-Sheikh Um El Donia, in a post via Facebook, reported that six SDF members and one civilian were wounded in two strikes on SDF positions in al-Khatuniya. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and Kurdish Human Rights on Facebook reported that a number of civilians were wounded in the strike.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights framed this strike as part of a wider campaign of Turkish drone attacks in north-east Syria in early 2025, reporting dozens of strikes across Raqqa, Aleppo and Hasakah that have produced both civilian and SDF casualties.

The Syria Maskana, liveuamap, Kurdish Human Rights and Hawarnews and Ronahi all confirmed that the number of deaths resulting from the strike was one.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Turkish military. However, the sources differed on the nature of the attack. While SOHR and Facebook account  Kurdish Human Rights alleged that the attack was carried out with drones, Syria Maskana on Facebook alleged that it was an airstrike, and Hawar News claimed that the civilian died as a result of the artillery shelling.

Victims

Individuals

Mohammed al-Ahmad al-Murad محمد الأحمد المراد
Adult male killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Strike Status
Likely strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
1
1 Man
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Khatouniya (الخاتونية), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.946066, 38.892031. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Turkish Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Turkish Military
Turkish Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media from Sources (3)