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

Incident Code

TS300C

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

بوشيوخ, Beshioukh, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.764604, 38.068829 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was reported injured in an alleged Turkish forces airstrike and/or artillery strike on Beshioukh village, Kobane in Aleppo Governorate on October 9th, 2019, according to the local sources.

The injured civilian was named as Mohammad Ahmad Aljasm, age 22. No other information available to Airwars.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • 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
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Beshioukh (بشيوخ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.764604, 38.068829. 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
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • 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
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS298

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

Se Girka, Qamishli, Hasaka , Syria

Geolocation

36.844444, 41.047778 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A child aged six was reported injured or killed in an alleged Turkish forces artillery strike on Se Girka village in Qamishli countryside, October 9th 2019, according to local media sources.

ANF news also reported that “in the same area, the Turkish forces attacked a vehicle belonging to civilians.”

@twkiedisqueen and @RojavaNetwork said the child was killed, while other sources said they were wounded.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • (0–1 children)
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Se Girka, Qamishli, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.844444, 41.047778. 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
    Unknown
  • (0–1 children)
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS297

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

al-Basheriyah, Qamishli, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

37.054722, 41.236111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to three civilians including a woman were reported killed and many more wounded in alleged Turkish shelling of a Christian neighbourhood in al-Basheriyah, Qamishli, sources said. Reports claimed that the shells landed on civilian homes and fires broke out. Multiple reports published graphic images of casualties.

@NPA_SY said that a Kurdish civilian died and two Christian civilians were wounded. A 25-year-old Syrian woman, Juliet Nikola, was named as killed.

However, @Elizrael put the death toll at three with nine more injured. Other sources reported “many” or “tens” of civilian casualties – and published associated images.

@cmoc_sdf tweeted that “[ 37-year-old] Fadi Habsono’s house in the Besheriye neighbourhood in Qamishli was destroyed, and he was injured and taken to hospital. One of his neighbours was killed.”

@mustefabali noted: “Christians of northern Syria are facing risk of mass displacement. Most of them will prefer displacement than living under jihadist groups of Turkey. Some of them were wounded in shelling by Turkish army in Qamishli.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

25 years old female killed
37 years old male Initially report as injured killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9–20
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Footage of the aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrike on the al-Basheriyah, Oct 9th.
  • The aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrike on the al-Basheriyah, Oct 9th.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic images of wounded civilians following the allaged Turkish strikes on the al-Basheriyah, Oct 9th.
  • Another picture from the incident
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An alleged victim undergoing surgery

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 – 3
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9–20
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS299

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

القحطانية, Kel Hesnak, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.975184, 42.245577 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians were reported injured as a result of an alleged Turkish forces airstrike on Kel Hesnak village in Hasakah, October 9th 2019, according to local media.

ANHA reported: “The bombing of the city center continued and four civilians were injured. Injured civilians were hospitalized.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Rojin Mohammad Hani روجين محمد هاني
18 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the subdistrict of Kel Hesnak (القحطانية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.975184, 42.245577. 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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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

TS296

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

Tirbe-Sipi, Eastern Qamishli, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

37.026914, 41.545174 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died and up to 10 more were injured in alleged Turkish shelling on Tirbe-Sipi, Eastern Qamishli, according to local media.

@NPA_SY reported one civilian death – and the injury of six more.

Other sources put the number of wounded at four or five.

Yehya Ibrahim Aljasem, 25-years-old, was named as killed.

Buyerpress noted the injury of a “six-year-old child”.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Majid Hamo
37 years old male Kurdish Red Crescent injured
Jamil Hamo
50 years old male Kurdish Red Crescent injured
Hussien Hamo
10 years old male Kurdish Red Crescent injured
Abdulghani Hamo
17 years old male Kurdish Red Crescent injured
Yehya Ibrahim Aljasem
25 years old male killed

The victims were named as:

16 years old injured
Hamid Riyad
23 years old male injured
Turkiya Hajji
16 years old female injured
Abdulghani delf
15 years old male injured
Ali Said
Age unknown male injured
Ahmed Othman
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–10
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Smoke rises over Tirbe-Sipi, Eastern Qamishli, Hasaka Governorate, Oct 9th, following an alleged Turkish strike (via Bakur)
  • Smoke rises over Tirbe-Sipi, Eastern Qamishli, Hasaka Governorate, Oct 9th, following an alleged Turkish strike (via Buyerpress)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Tirbe-Sipi, Eastern Qamishli, for which the generic coordinates are: 37.026914, 41.545174. 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
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–10
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS295

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

Mitkalta village, Tal Abyad, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.556229, 39.107500 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two or three civilians from the same family – a father, mother, and their child – died in an alleged Turkish strike on Matkalat village in the countryside of Tal Abyad area in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah, according to local media.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “three people, a man, his wife, and their child,” died.

However, @NPA_SY put the death toll at two (the man and his wife), reporting that they died when a Turkish airstrike hit their house.

Hawar News named the three victims, but said that the child had survived the attack.

According to Hawar News, “The Turkish army attacked the village of Metlkalta with missiles. Rebia Masmaîl and Mihemed Hac Qadir were slaughtered and their 9-year-old son Rêzan Masmaîl was injured as a result of the missile hitting the vehicle they were in. Rêzan Îsmaîl, who has four brothers and a sister, is being treated at Minbic Hospital.”

The source added: “Nine-year-old Rêzan is unaware of the death of his parents. Enwer Umer, one of Rêzan’s relatives, said: ‘My children called me. They said that four missiles were thrown into the village by the occupying Turkish state. One of the missiles hit a vehicle carrying Rêzan and his family”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Adult female killed
Adult male killed
9 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Kurdish Red Crescent list of casualties caused by Turkish military attacks between 9 and 13 Oct 2019

  • Mrs. Rabeah Ismail and her husband Mohammad Hajj Qader Ismail. (via SN4HR)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the subdistrict of Mitkalta village, Tal Abyad, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.556229, 39.107500. 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
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS294

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

Mabrouka IDP camp, Ras al-Ain, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.849574, 40.071603 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

@NPA_SY tweeted: that the SDF Press Office said  “a child lost his life in Mabrouka IDP camp, Ras al-Ain, due to the difficulty of moving him to hospital following Turkish indiscriminate shelling”.

Hawar news agency also reported the death of a child.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Mabrouka IDP camp, Ras al-Ain, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.849574, 40.071603. 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 child)
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS293

Incident date

October 9, 2019

Location

رأس العين‎, Ras al-Ain, Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.849574, 40.071603 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian died and at least five more were wounded in alleged Turkish shelling in the vicinity of Ras al-Ain, local media reported.

@NPA_SY tweeted: “Five civilians were injured,and taken to Lekirin hospital in Tal-Tamr west of Hasakah, after being hit by Turkish artillery shelling on the city of Ras al-Ain and surrounding villages.”

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “another citizen was killed in in the vicinity and countryside of Ras Al-Ayn area in Al-Hasakah.Turkish shelling also left at least 13 civilian injuries, and the number of casualties is expected to increase due to the presence of some injuries in critical condition.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–13
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Ras al-Ain (رأس العين‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.849574, 40.071603. 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
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–13
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]