In an airstrike confirmed by CENTCOM, US forces struck what it reported to be an Al-Qaeda command center in northern Idlib. Local sources reported that the US strike struck a military headquarters belonging to “Ansar Al-Tawhid” in the town of Kafr Nabil, but added that civilian houses were struck nearby as well, resulting in a number of deaths and wounded.

The US Central Command under the Pentagon reported that US forces had struck an al-Qaeda facility north of Idlib in Syria on Saturday. According to Lieutenant Colonel Earl, “the operation targeted al-Qaeda leaders in Syria responsible for attacks that threaten American citizens, our partners and innocent civilians,” Brown, the head of media operations at the Central Command, told Reuters in an e-mailed statement.

However, local sources claimed that children and women from the families of members of ISIS living in the area were killed in the attack as well. According to Syria TV, 23 people were identified, including four people under the age of 18 and seven unidentified bodies. According to Alaraby, the children and women were family members of the terror organisation.

Step News Agency reported that 14 members of ISIS were killed and more than 23 were wounded. In addition, the source reported that a civilian by the name of Ahmed Youssef Yassou was killed when rocket shelling hit his farm.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee reported that 29 people were killed, 22 wounded and one person went missing; 21 year old Khaled al-Sha’ban. The source identified the names of 22 victims. It further stated that the seven unidentified bodies were saved for forensic medicine.

Baladi estimated a total death toll of 30 people, most of whom were buried under the rubble, while Alquds reported on a total of 51 dead.

Russia accused the US of “endangering” a ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib province by carrying out the airstrike.

On March 10, 2022 in the CJTF-OIR Civilian Casualty Report, the Coalition reported this incident to be “non-credible”, stating that “After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”