Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

YS134

Incident date

June 1, 2022

Location

تل أبيض, Tal Abyad, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.689111, 38.946356 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and four civilians were killed and up to 12 others were injured in alleged Syrian Democratic Forces airstrikes/drone strikes/shelling of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022.

@DeirEzzorNow tweeted the names of the victims: two brothers “Wassim and Bashar Al-Barhou“, Hajj “Abdi Al-Hamran”, Khaled Al-Halisi 34 years old, adding that in addition “several” were wounded. A Facebook post from Hajin Today 2021 referred to Abdi Al-Hamran as being elderly and Athr Press identified two of those killed as being under the age of 18.

Al Khabour posted on Facebook that three people were killed by “PYD/PKK missile strikes” and 10 others were injured, some of them seriously. @ShahbaPress reported that “two civilians were killed and four wounded”, while @AlArabiya_Brk also put the number of killed at two but differed on the number of wounded, reporting that six civilians were wounded. A higher injury number was provided by @alamlmediatv, putting the injury toll at 12.

Halab Today added that among the injured, “our people were transferred to Turkish hospitals due to the difficulty of treating them in local hospitals” and that the death toll was expected to rise from three deaths that they identified. Athr Press reported that among the injured, two of them had their lower limbs (legs) amputated.

According to Rudaw News, quoting the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, one of the four people killed was a “fighter from the armed opposition” while the other three killed were civilians. The Syrian Observatory Observatory for Human Rights and the sources that quoted it where the only ones that identified any of those killed as being militants.

A tweet from @DeirEzzorNow reported that the bombing focused on the hospital surroundings and around the local council in Tal Abyad, and Rudaw News provided the name of the hospital to be Al-Hikma Hospital area. Al Khabour identified “Al-Mashfa Street and the Mall Street in the center of the city” as being struck in the bombing. @ShahbaPress described the area hit as being a popular market while Orient News referred to the bombed area as residential neighborhoods, specifically “Al-Layl neighborhood”.

The majority of sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)/Democratic Union Party (PYK). Al Khabour News added that rocket launchers were used in the attack, specifically five rocket-propelled grenades, while Orient News reported that  the militia (Farhad al-Shami) said that the bombing came via a drone. According to Halab Today, the SDF denied responsibility for the bombing, stating that the bombing had been carried out by an “unidentified drone”.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

34 years old male killed
Hajj "Abdi Al-Hamran" الحاج "عبدي الحمران"
Age unknown male killed
Wassim Al-Barhou وسيم البرهو
Age unknown male killed
Bashar Al-Barhou بشار البرهو
Age unknown male killed

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the strike in Tal Abyad (تل أبيض). Analysing audio-visual material from sources we have narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 36.689111, 38.946356.

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  • Tagged audio-visual material from sources. Imagery Deir Ezzore Now

  • Tagged audio-visual material from sources. Imagery Deir Ezzore Now

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1–2 children1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–12
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (44) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (22) [ collapse]

  • One of the victims of the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • One of the victims of the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • Damage caused by the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • Khaled Al-Halisi, 34 years old, killed in alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by in Tal Abyad via Facebook)
  • Tal Abyad/ Gary Spi Dead and wounded as a result of unknown bombardment on the city of Tal Abyad. According to medical sources, 3 deaths and 6 injuries were reported as a preliminary outcome. Known from the two dead brothers, "Wassim Al-Barhou and Bashar Al-Barhou" and Khaled Jassim Al-Halisi.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of one of the victims killed in alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by in Cudi Rojava via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @syr_television)
  • Alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • One of the victims of the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @HASAKHNNEWS via Facebook)
  • Our people in Tal Abyad, may God bestow your condolences May God have mercy on the dead and heal the wounded
  • One of the missiles that struck the city of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @77Mikiy)
  • One of the missiles that struck the city of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @77Mikiy)
  • One of the missiles that struck the city of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @77Mikiy)
  • Funeral for the two brothers, Wassim and Bashar Al-Barhou, killed in the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @wexP2S7t8yGMwRf)
  • Funeral for the two brothers, Wassim and Bashar Al-Barhou, killed in the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @wexP2S7t8yGMwRf)
  • Funeral for the two brothers, Wassim and Bashar Al-Barhou, killed in the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @wexP2S7t8yGMwRf)
  • Funeral for the two brothers, Wassim and Bashar Al-Barhou, killed in the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @wexP2S7t8yGMwRf)
  • Victims of the alleged SDF bombing of Tal Abyad on June 1, 2022. (Image posted by @SN4HR)

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1–2 children1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–12
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (44) [ collapse]