Incident Codes

CS1383 ISSY001

Location

الشجرة, Al Shajra, Daraa, Syria

Geolocation

32.774031, 35.883493
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S1208a)

Up to 27 civilians were reported killed in airstrikes on the town of Al Shajra in western Daraa.

According to Daraa Martyrs Documentation Center, 32 “mostly civilians” were killed when positions of Jaish Khalid bin Walid, a Salafi jihadist group, were targeted. The report claimed that the Coalition launched a long-range missile, which “targeted the Islamic Court of Khalid Bin Al-Waleed Army”.

Ten detainees who were held in the court’s prison were killed in the attack, according to the Center. It noted another 17 civilians who were killed as they were in the near vicinity of the strike. Five members of the “army Khalid bin Walid” were also reported killed.

Zaman al Wasl quoted a local activist who stated that four missiles struck the court, “likely targeting a meeting of leaders”. According to Enab Baladi, “The last of the group’s Emirs was Abu Tim Enkhl, who was killed yesterday (Thursday, August 17) by an air raid on the village of Al-Shajara in the Yarmouk basin.”

Shaam News reported that “activists said that the raid targeted the court and led to the martyrdom of a number of civilians who were imprisoned in the court on charges of belonging to the Free Syrian Army. A number of civilians were killed while in court for other reasons.”

Shaam added that “Many of the dead were killed in the prison, including relatives of the founder of the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigade, Muhammad Saad al-Din al-Baridi, known as the “Khal”, who established the presence of the brigade in the western countryside and was killed nearly two years previously in a suicide attack. His relatives had been jailed in the wake of internal disputes within the organization, after receiving information about their intention to carry out a military coup.”

Orient noted that either the Coalition or Israel was responsible for an attack on what it described as the “Khaled bin Al-Walid Army” in Sharja, but was alone in saying this. Al Shaam mentioned that Coalition raids led to “the deaths of a number of martyrs and wounded civilians” but did not identify a specific number of casualties.

The Coalition itself did not publicly report any raids on the province on this date.

Key Information

Country
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Strike Status
Contested strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
17–27
1 Man
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Shajra (الشجرة), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.774031, 35.883493. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
The Coalition did not publicly report any airstrikes in the Daraa governorate for August 16th-17th and Augustu 17th-18th.
French Military Strike Report
For Aug 9-15th, France report 2 strikes in Raqqah, Syria – and 13 artillery missions in Mosul.
French Military Strike Report
In the past week, (11th-18th) France conducted 27 sorties, including 22 armed reconnaissance and ground support (CAS), 1 refueling outlet and 4 intelligence gathering sorties by Atlantic 2 or Rafale patrols. Two strikes were carried out in the Raqqah region of Syria. They helped support the Syrian democratic forces in their offensive to retake the city.
Israeli Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Israeli Military
Israeli Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (3)