Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

An internally displaced Kurdish family in northern Iraq, 2016 (Maranie R. Staab)

Belligerent
Turkish Military
Country
Iraq
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure
text search
814 Results
sort by:
Sort by:
Incident date
Civilian deaths alleged
Civilian deaths confirmed by belligerent

Incident Code

TS510

Incident date

May 22, 2022

Location

المشيرفة , Al Masherfa, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.41292, 39.11639 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a young man, was seriously wounded by alleged Turkish drone strikes near the village of Al-Masherfa on May 22, 2022.

According to Hawar News, a Turkish drone attack injured 25 year old Reda Ali Hussein, who was transferred to Martyr Omar Alloush Hospital in Ain Issa district. The medical staff at Martyr Omar Alloush Hospital told Hawar News that Reda Ali Husseins condition is stable after he was “hit by shrapnel in several parts of his body”, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights referred to his wounds as “serious”.

Xeber News identified the incident as occurring on the outskirts of the village of Al-Masherfa three km south of the M4 International road. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the location was a Syrian Democratic Forces military post.

All of the sources that reported on this incident attributed the strikes to Turkish forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Reda Ali Hussein رضا علي حسين
25 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of civilian injured by a drone strike on the village of Al-Mushairfa on May 22, 2022. (Image posted by Hawar News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Al Masherfa (المشيرفة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.41292, 39.11639. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS535

Incident date

July 26, 2022

Location

قرية شيخ عيسى , Sheikh Issa village, Tal Rifaat, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.478306, 37.146936 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and three to five civilians were injured as a result of an alleged Turkish attack on Sheikh Issa village, in Tal Rifaat, Aleppo, Syria on July 26th 2022.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that three women and a man were injured, whilst ANHA Arabic reported that six women were injured. According to the ANHA news correspondent, the names of those injured were Rawash Rasho, aged 50, Lamia Hassan, aged 41, Kawthar Mustafa, aged 17, Fawzia Rasho, aged, 20 years old, Sawsan Mustafa and Atriya Shobak, aged 20 and that all of them were transferred to the hospital for treatment.

On August 1, 2022, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that one of the women that was injured died from the injuries she sustained.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 50 rocket and artillery shells were fired, most which landed in this area, along with the flying of Turkish reconnaissance aircraft in the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Rawash Rasho
50 years old female injured
Lamia Hassan
41 years old female injured
Kawthar Mustafa
17 years old male injured
Fawzia Rasho
20 years old female injured
Sawsan Mustafa
Age unknown female injured
Atriya Shobak
20 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Between four and six civilians were injured in an alleged Turkish attack on Sheikh Issa village, Aleppo on July 26th 2022 (Image via ANHA Arabic / Facebook)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sheikh Issa (قرية شيخ عيسى ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.478306, 37.146936. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS560

Incident date

October 12, 2022

Location

شيراوا, Sherawa district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.466500, 36.887006 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Additional Geolocations

36.464198, 36.866351 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map 36.410735, 36.862676 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to three women, including a pregnant woman, were killed and children were injured in clashes between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Turkish forces-associated Levant Front in the Sherawa district of Afrin on October 12, 2022.

Hawar News reported that three women, including a pregnant woman, were killed and children were injured in the clashes, specifically artillery shelling and tanks, between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the Levant Front in occupied Afrin. A local source told Hawar that the casualties occurred in the villages of Burj Abdalo, Karzila and Ain Dara in Sherawa district, and that the pregnant woman named Fatima Mahmoud al-Abed that was killed was from the village of Karzila.

Al Khabour posted on Facebook that one of the women was killed by artillery shelling by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on the village of Burj Abdalo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also identified a woman as being killed by “indiscriminate bullets and shrapnel” but did not specify which village in Sherawa district.

A video posted by Ahmad M. Ahmad shows the moment a shell fell on the home of a civilian in the village of Karzila.

Source were conflicted as to whether the casualties were caused by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the Levant Front, a Turkish proxy fighting force.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Fatima Mahmoud al-Abed
Adult female pregnant killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, Rebel Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda/HTS

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of clashes between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the Levant Front in Afrin on October 12, 2022. (Image posted by Hawar News)
  • What is happening since this morning in the city of Afrin and its environs is fierce battles between the armed factions affiliated with Turkey. Artillery shelling targeting the vicinity of the city of Afrin at these moments. Violent clashes in the villages of Shirawa district, extending to the outskirts of Afrin. - Violent clashes inside the village of Karzila/Krzyhel in Shirawa district. -According to a call I had with my parents inside the Jindires district, the sounds of violent clashes are heard from the south of the district, and the clashes are concentrated in the villages of Deir Ballut and Muhammadiyah. The video below shows the moment a shell fell on the house of a civilian in the village of Karzila / Karzyhel. "We wish safety to our people in the city of Afrin and its villages"

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention strikes on the villages of Karzila (قرزيحل), Ayn Dara (عين دارة), and Burj Abdalo (برج عبد الله). The generic coordinates for Karzila are: 36.466500, 36.887006. The generic coordinates for Ayn Dara are: 36.464198, 36.866351. The generic coordinates for Burj Abdalo are: 36.410735, 36.862676. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the locations further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Rebel Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Rebel Forces
  • Rebel Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, Rebel Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda/HTS

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS589

Incident date

March 4, 2023

Location

بغديك, Bagdik, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.735505, 38.659869 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were injured by alleged Turkish shelling of Bagdik village in eastern countryside of Kobani on March 4, 2023.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that two civilians were injured and taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries from mortar fire launched by Turkish forces on Bagdik village.

Hawar News also reported that “civilians” were injured and provided the name of one of the civilians who was injured, and who was taken to Kobani Hospital to undergo surgery and was in critical condition at the time of reporting: Ahmed Asaad Hamza, 28 years old.

Hawar News included details that a number of people’s homes were destroyed in the village of Bagdik, and ARTA FM added that homes in the village of Kolteb were also destroyed.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the shelling to Turkish forces, with some referring to mortar shells as being used while ANF reported that howitzers carried out the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed Asaad Hamza
28 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bagdik (بغديك), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.735505, 38.659869. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS624

Incident date

August 23, 2023

Location

طريق علي فرو, Ali Faro Road, Al-Hasakah, 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

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 attacker
    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)

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.

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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS665

Incident date

December 5, 2023

Location

حربل, village of Harbel in the Al-Shahba area, northern countryside of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, a Kurdish civilian man was seriously wounded while driving his car by an alleged drone strike by the Turkish military on the village of Harbel in the Al-Shahba area, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Syria. According to the local sources, the attack was perpetrated with a “suicide drone”.

According to the Facebook account “Human Rights Afrin”, a 38-year old man named Azad Khalil Hamada sustained injuries to his leg, and his car was damaged. It was reported that Azad belonged to the forcibly displaced people of Afrin. He appeared in an image shared by this account as a middle-aged bearded man in a brown pullover and jeans. A picture of his damaged white “Kia” auto was also posted.

Afrin Muhajar Facebook user also shared an image of Azad lying on the hospital bed with his arm in a cast, so likely his arm was also injured.

Where the sources identified the belligerent, all the sources attributed the strike to the Turkish military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Azad Khalil Hamada آزاد خليل حمادة
38 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Source: Human Rights Afrin Facebook
  • Source: Human Rights Afrin Facebook

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Afrin Muhajar facebook

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]