(Previous Incident Code: R4534 )

On July 26, 2023, two civilians were reportedly killed in al-Atareb, Aleppo, in an artillery strike allegedly launched by Syrian regime and/or Russian forces. Aid workers indicated that two additional people were injured in the attack.

Syria Civil Defence shared that a young man and his uncle—identified as Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam and Abd al-Razzaq Abdo Rustam by independent journalist Ahmad al-Shably—were killed on the outskirts of al-Atareb while they were grazing sheep, with other sources mentioning that the civilians were in a car at the time of the attack. Sources corroborate that the two men were shepherds, who lived in the nearby village of Anjara.

When asked by Syria TV News, Civil Defence personnel stated that two other individuals were wounded, one of whom was Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam’s father. The spokesman also stated that the artillery strike and concurrent guided missile attack were launched by the Syrian regime and Russian military forces. Multiple sources refer to the munition used in the attack as an anti-tank guided missile, or ATGM.

A tweet from @mzmgr941 pointed out that at the time, seven Russian/Iranian reconnaissance planes and three Coalition reconnaissance planes were monitoring the area.

Following the attack, victims were evacuated and treated by aid workers affiliated with Syria Civil Defence. The Syrian Civil Defense also reported that around midnight the same evening, a car for the families of the victims of the initial strike were attacked by guided missiles launched by the Syrian regime forces, which resulted in a fire but no injuries. However, the Syrian regime continued to monitor the location, making it difficult for Civil Defense volunteers to reach the site of the strikes.