Four civilians including a Syrian Civil Defence volunteer were killed, up to 42 others injured, and one civilian went missing as a result of alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime shelling with surface to surface missiles on oil refinery stations in Tarhin and Hamran villages in Jarablus, Aleppo on March 5th. The Syrian Civil Defence referred to the targeted area as ‘fuel market’. The injured civilians endured burns as a result of the fires, as it took the Civil Defence volunteer teams more than 19 hours to put the fire off.

In the total toll of those killed and injured, Syrian Civil Defence said that four people were killed including a civil defence volunteer and 42 injured, 38 in Al Hamran and 4 in Tarhin.

The shelling caused huge fires which consequently led to the explosion of an oil tank killing the Syrian Civil Defence volunteer Ahmad Al Waki who was among the team working to put off the fires. Ahmad is a father of two children who are not older than 4 years. Local sources also named a missing civilian as Ahmad Al Junaid Al Barho from Marran village.

Syrian Civil Defence posted images and videos showing their volunteers respond to the fires and trying to put them off. The fires erupted in the oil refinery stations in Tarhin and fuel tanks that crossed through Hamran crossing.

The Syrian Observatory mentioned that over 180 oil tanks were burned and between 30 people were killed and injured. Step News said the losses calculated of the attacks amounts to 6 million dollars. “200 trucks were burned, 20 of them loaded with oil, in addition to the burning of 15 tanks and 4 oil burners, with losses estimated at 6 million dollars, as a preliminary outcome.” SCD said that the area was reportedly targeted with 7 missiles (Three Tochka missiles loaded with Cluster Bombs) and another 4 Tocka and Surface to Surface missiles also loaded with Cluster Bombs. More than 200 oil tankers were destroyed and 2 SCD vehicles were damaged during the efforts to put out the fire.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that “Russian warplanes stationed near the Syrian coastline fired three surface-to-surface missiles near an oil market and oil refineries close to Al-Hamaran area in Jarabulus in north-eastern Aleppo. ” However, the source accused the Syrian regime of responsibility for attacking Tarhin. “everal rockets, believed to be fired from regime military barracks in Aleppo, hit refineries in Tarhin in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, which resulted in the outbreak of large fires in the area.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights provided some details on the incident. “Russian carried out two synchronous attacks using long-range missiles on the eastern suburbs of Aleppo governorate. The first attack took place at 19:05 targeting the crossing at al Humran – a square where tanks loaded with fuel were gathered – in the area on the dividing line between the territories controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian National Army in eastern Aleppo governorate. The bombardment resulted in the deaths of at least three civilians and the injury of 23 others, in addition to the burning of dozens of tankers in the area. Less than an hour later, at 20:00, the same forces carried out another attack on the area against a group of fuel burners – rudimentary refineries used in refining operations for crude oil – in Tarhin village in the south of Jarablos city, also in eastern Aleppo governorate, resulting in the death of a Civil Defense member, named as Ahmad al Waki, while he was extinguishing fires that broke out in the area, as well as putting two emergency vehicles out of service.”

Shaam Network said “The Assad forces and the Russian forces targeted the fuel market in the Hamran area in the countryside of Jarablus city, and the oil burners in the village of Tarhine in the countryside of Al-Bab city, with surface-to-ground missiles, which led to the outbreak of huge fires. To put out the fires, three civilians were also killed and 27 others were wounded in the area.”

At the start, the Syrian Civil Defence said that the missiles source is unknown but later accused Russia and the regime for responsibility.

Step News correspondent said that the oil trucks belong to Ahrar Al Sharqiya  and that most workers in the refinery belong to Ahrar Al Sharqiya.

The incident occured between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm local time.

Between two and five civilians were killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime artillery strikes on the village of Tarhin, Aleppo governorate, on February 9th, 2021, according to local sources. Up to 10 civilians, including children, were injured.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported: “SOHR activists say that five people, including three unidentified, were killed and four others were injured, this evening, in surface-to-surface missiles fired by the Russian military base in Hmeimim on the oil refineries in the village of Tarhin in the areas held by Turkish-backed factions in Aleppo countryside. The strikes resulted in fires and significant damage to civilians’ property.” The SOHR, however, added that other sources reported that the missiles came from the military academy in Aleppo.

The Syrian Civil Defence wrote on Facebook: “One dead, a number of injured and huge fires by the missile strikes that targeted the primitive fuel refineries in the village of Tarhin, east of Aleppo, this evening, Tuesday, February 9th, our teams are working to search for survivors in addition to extinguishing the fires burning in the place.”

On their website, the SCD wrote that a Toshka surface-to-surface missile loaded with cluster bombs was fired on the village, “which led to the killing of two civilians and wounding four others, as well as the outbreak of very large fires due to the nature of the area, which includes a large number of fuel tanks and primitive refineries.”

Assad Al Zalam posted the names of four victims on Facebook: the men Abdul Hadi Al Hammadi and Muhammad Al Hammadi were killed, while Omar Jumaa Al Ahmad and Abdullah Al Ahmad were reported injured. The source added that the wounded were brought to Al Bab Al Jadid Hospital.

Activists told Shaam News Network that “several long-range missiles targeted the oil burners in the village of Tarhin in the countryside of Aleppo, causing a martyr to fall and wounded among civilians, including children.”

According to Syria News, illegal oil refining burners of Turkey-affiliated militants were targeted, leading to injuries among “the gunmen”, indicating that combatants were injured in the strikes.

@IdlibPlus reported five killed people and a number of injured on the Haragat area of the village of Tarhin. A local source told North Press Agency Syria that “five civilians were killed and ten others were wounded, as a preliminary outcome, with a ground-to-ground missile that targeted Haragat sites in the village of Tarhin, in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.”

Anadolu Agency said that “at least six ballistic missiles fell on the Tarhin area, killing two civilians and wounding six others, in an initial outcome.” @Sy24ria tweeted that three civilians were killed and four others were injured.

Al Modon wrote: “A military source in the National Army confirmed to Al Modon that the Toshka-type surface-to-surface missiles were loaded with cluster bombs from the regime-controlled areas, targeting the town of Tarhin.”

Sources blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime for the strikes.

The incident occured in the evening.