Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

TS624

Incident date

August 23, 2023

Location

طريق علي فرو, Ali Faro Road, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

37.040713, 41.116864 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the afternoon of August 23, 2023, a man was killed and at least one person, a female journalist, was injured in an alleged Turkish drone strike on the Qamishli-Amuda road in Northeast Syria.

The man, Najm al-Din Faisal, worked for woman-run channel JIN TV, and was driving fellow channel employees. Dalila Akid, a journalist, was wounded. After undergoing treatment, Hawar News confirmed that Akid has been released from being operated on and is now under intensive care.

ANF News claimed multiple people were in the car and Kurdistan TV has specified that several journalists were injured, but no further information has been released.

Hawar News wrote about Najm al-Din Faisal, the driver killed in the drone strikes: Najm was 46 years old, born on March 30, 1977 and came from the village of Al-Jawhariya in Amuda district. He had five brothers and three sisters, and he is the 3rd brother among them. Najm left school after his “primary” education to help his family by working in agriculture, and he was married at the age of 29 and had three daughters and one son named Vian, Beretan, Amara, Maashouq. During the Rojava revolution, Najm joined the theater within the Culture and Art Authority in Amuda district as a volunteer without pay and began working for Jin TV as a driver at the beginning of 2021, according to his sister Perwin Faisal.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified the location of the strikes as near Mazar Shaikh Jabr Village on Ali Faro Road. An eyewitness told Radio Arta that he saw residents of Tal Shair Sheikhan removing the victims from the car after it was struck.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Free Medium Union alleged that the car was struck in an attempt to silence independent journalists. The Media Department for AANES consequently released a statement condemning “the Turkish occupation and its Syrian mercenaries” for the attack. Kurdistan TV reported that JIN TV—“Woman” TV in Kurdish—has ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party, and suggests this may be why the vehicle was attacked.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Najm al-Din Faisal نجم الدين فيصل
Age unknown male killed
Dalila Akid دليلة عكيد
Age unknown female injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle struck on the Ali Faro Road (طريق علي فرو), which runs between the towns of Qamishli (ٱلْقَامِشْلِي) and Amouda (عَامُودَا), in the vicinity of the village of Tal Shair (تل شعير). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 37.040713, 41.116864.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 journalist)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
    Turkish Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Vehicle struck by alleged Turkish drone strikes on August 23, 2023. (Image posted by ANF)
  • Vehicle struck by alleged Turkish drone strikes on August 23, 2023. (Image posted by ANF)
  • Vehicle struck by alleged Turkish drone strikes on August 23, 2023. (Image posted by Kurdistan TV)

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 journalist)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
    Turkish Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]