Israeli Military in Syria & the Gaza Strip

A child uses his mobile device in the ruins of a building in Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip on May 26th 2021. © Mohamed Zaanoun

Belligerent
Country
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

RS3146

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

كفرزيتا, Kafar Zita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3747033, 36.5923691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were wounded due to airstrikes in Kafar Zita. Sources did not attribute blame, however this raid occurred at the same time as the allegedly join Russian and Syrian regime raid on “village of Hawija, west of Hama, Latmeen Village north of Hama, and the cities of Al Latamna and Kafarzita”.

Hama Now reported that “Bombing of an explosive barrel targeting the town of Kafr Zeita, north of Hama”.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS238

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

هيلجار جنديرس, Hijlar, Jindires, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.385278, 36.717778 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that between eight and 10 civilians died and up to 16 more were wounded in alleged Turkish air and artillery strikes on Hijlar, Jindires.

According to Rok news, “Turkish forces carried out a massacre of civilians in the village of Hujailar in the countryside of northwestern Syria, field sources said. The sources confirmed Turkish artillery had targeted the houses of civilians and their vehicles, killing eight civilians and wounding 12 others.”

Rok and other sources claimed that Turkish forces had “kidnapped” the wounded and transported the dead bodies to Hattai in an attempt to “hide” the “massacre”.

The pro-Syrian regime source Syriaalasad put the death toll at 10 with 16 more injured.

Xeber 24 added that the YPG had attacked Turkish forces in the area, reporting thatthe People’s and Women’s Protection Units carried out a qualitative operation in the village of Hjilar in the Jandrissa district. The sources confirmed that nine Turkish soldiers were killed and another eight wounded”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–16
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hijlar, Jindires, Afrin (هيلجار جنديرس), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.385278, 36.717778. 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–16
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3144

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

لطمين, Latmeen, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3586059, 36.6483307 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A young man was killed in airstrikes on Latmeen, according to social media. Sources all attributed the blame to Russian warplanes.

Sources were conflicted as to whether the young man was a civilian or a non-civilian. VDC reported that he was a non-civilian, however all other sources reported he was a civilian.

According to local media, explosive barrels were fired onto the vicinity.

VDC also reported that he was killed in a “bombardment by the Russian aggression on the agricultural land of the city where he was riding his motorcycle on the road of Al Lattamna- Latmeen”.

An unspecified number of civilians were also injured in the raids.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Muhammad Khaled Salem al-Zidan
18 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • (0–1 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Latmeen, 2nd march 2018. (via Mahmood Alhamwi)
  • Muhammad Khaled Salem al-Zidan, killed in airstrikes on Latmeen, 2nd march 2018. (via VDC)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • (0–1 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS239

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

يلنقوز, Yalanqouz, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.391667, 36.693056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian male was injured in an alleged Turkish shelling of Yalanqouz, according to local media.

ROK News reported: “In the context of Jindires and its villages, there is heavy artillery shelling in conjunction with air strikes on populated villages. At least one person was injured in the village of Yilanguz after air strikes.”

Sources said that the victim suffered shrapnel wounds to his face and published images of him being treated in a medical facility.

According to IC Afrin, the man was injured by a “Turkish army drone”.

Rumaf added that there had been “destruction to residential buildings”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdul Rahman Badr Khan
26 years old male injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Abdul Rahman Badr Khan, injured in alleged Turkish shelling on Yalanqouz, Afrin, 2nd March 2018. (via Arin Chekhmous)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Yalanqouz, Afrin (يلنقوز), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.391667, 36.693056. 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

S1537a

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

الشعفة, al-Shaafa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

Deaths and injuries were reported when the US-led Coalition allegedly struck a field hospital in Al-Shaf’a in Deir Ezzor on March 2nd, 2018. The hospital attacked was named by local sources as Nabd Al-Hayat.

Syriamap reported “Airstrikes by the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS put the hospital completely out of service leading to several deaths and injuries of civilians and staff.”

Zamanalwasl also reported civilian casualties as a result of the Coalition’s airstrike, and said that the hospital was completely destroyed. It seems the source depended on a video of an ISIS member.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1734

Incident date

March 2, 2018

Location

قرية عفرة, Afra Al Barjari Village, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

35.8183333, 41.0280556 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that up to two civilians were killed and between one to four seriously injured in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the village of Afra al Barjari, on the evening of March 2nd.

Multiple sources identified some of the adult male victims.

The civilians were said to have been in their car when they were hit by an airstrike and according to a local source quoted by Zaman Al Wasl, the passengers were on the road between Abu Hamda and Al Touymen.

The same report also stated that apart from the civilian victims, two members of so-called Islamic State were killed in the airstrike.

In its monthly civilian casualty assessment for September 2019 – published on November 15th – the alliance classed the event as ‘non credible’, asserting that “After a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action.”

Coalition officials confirmed to Airwars that their review was a match for this event, and provided coordinates for the area assessed to within 100 metres.

The incident occured around dusk.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed Jasser Al Shalabi
Adult male Also known as Jamil al-Ahmad al-Jasser killed
Attallah al-Hajij
Adult male killed
Ammar al-Fayyad al-Ali
Adult male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–4
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Jamil al-Ahmad al-Jasser, who was killed when a missile hit the car he was travelling in (via Marsad al Hassakah)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    Other
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Afra Al Bajari, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV832657
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 15, 2019
  • March 2, 2018, near Afra Al Bajari, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 2nd, the Coalition did not publicly report any strikes in the vicinity of Afra Al Bajari, Al Dahra or the Hasakah governorate.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–4
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (12) [ collapse]