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

TS285

Incident date

November 1, 2018

Location

تل أبيض , Tel Fender, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.694722, 38.879444 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that a girl was killed due to Turkish shelling on Tal Fander, one of the Tal Abyad villages in northern Raqqa.

Although most sources reported that the girl was killed in an airstrike, Smart claimed that the Turkish army targeted the village with heavy machine guns and sniper fire, which allegedly killed the girl after she was hit by a bullet to the head.

In a press release, CENTCOM confirmed cross-border attacks by Turkey against SDF positions in northern-Syria, stating that the SDF temporarily suspended offensive actions against ISIS in response.

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Sara Rifaat
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Sara Rifaat was killed due to an alleged Turkish airstrike on Tal Abyad (via RBSS).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Sara Rifaat, alleged killed in a Turkish airstrike on Tal Abyad (via Euphrates Post).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tel Fender (تل فندر), for which the coordinates are: 36.694722, 38.879444

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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

TI017

Incident date

August 15, 2018

Location

سنجار , Sinjar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.318611, 41.861111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A former leader (Zaki Shankali) of the PKK in Sinjar reportedly died along with four Yazidi people in alleged Turkish airstrikes on their convoy in Sinjar at 5 p.m on August 15th, according to sources on the ground.

The combat status of the Yazidi people is in question, however, as one source referred to them as fighters. A further source added that the shelling also hit a car, wounding an unspecified number of civilians.

Rudaw reported: “‘The bombardment of the Sinjar district resulted in the death of the commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sinjar and four fighters from the Sinjar resistance units,’ said the former leader of the Sinjar resistance units and the Lalash Brigades, Ali Ali, on Wednesday, 15 August 2018.’

Almaaolomah reported that a source told them that  “the Turkish air force bombed a convoy of troops in villages oin the outskirts of Sinjar district west of Nineveh.
The source added that the the bombing resulted in the death of the leader of Bbakka Mam Zaki and a number of Iraqi Yazidis who were with him”.

Rojnews reported that “the shelling also targeted a car in the area and injured all civilian passengers.”

The incident occured at 17:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Zaki Shinkali
Adult male Listed as a former leader of PKK killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

  • Zaki Shinkali, a former leader of the PKK, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Sinjar, Aug 15th (via Adarpress)
  • The remains of the convoy alleged struck by Turksih jets in Sinjar, Aug 15th (via Rudaw)
  • The remains of the convoy alleged struck by Turksih jets in Sinjar, Aug 15th (via Rudaw)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Sinjar (سنجار ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.318611, 41.861111. 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 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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

TI015

Incident date

April 6, 2018

Location

سدكان , Sedkan, North east of Erbil Province, KRG, Iraq

Geolocation

36.801389, 44.665 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were injured in an alleged Turkish artillery strike on Sedkan, according to local sources.

Basnews reported that “on Friday [April 6th], Turkish artillery continued to bombard the area of ​​Bradust and its villages in Siddakan (northeast of Erbil), injuring two civilians and displacing about 120 others from their villages.

According to information received by Basnoyos, the Turkish army bombed dozens of villages in the region of Bradust and Sidkane district, where the inhabitants of six villages in the area evacuated their homes completely and were displaced to safer areas.”

Almaalomah also reported the injury of two civilians.

Shafaaq added that three members of the Peshermega were killed in a Turkish shelling. It named them as “Tahir Mohammed, Majid Mohammed and Ramadan Mohammed”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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
    Turkish Military

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • According to the source, Shafaaq, the authorities found the bodies of Tahir Mohammed, Majid Mohammed and Ramadan Mohammed, fighters in the Peshmerga forces who were on official leave to work in beekeeping to help their families. Killed in suspected Turkish strikes on Sedkan, Erbil Province, April 6th (via Shafaaq)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sedkan ( سدكان ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.801389, 44.665. 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
    2
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI014

Incident date

March 25, 2018

Location

شيلاديزي, Shiladeza, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.037778, 43.780833 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to local sources, one civilian was killed and one or two more were injured in an alleged Turkish airstrike on the Shiladeza area, north of Duhok province in Iraqi Kurdistan.

One local source told Roj News Agency that the raids began in the afternoon, striking the village of Hillah, “in the area between Rikani and Niroh”. The report detailed that the airstrikes had killed one civilian and seriously injured a 35-year-old civilian, who was taken to a hospital.

Ashin Berwari, the head of the Shiladeza district, told Shafaaq that the bombardment had “caused at least two civilian casualties”. He added that the Turkish authorities are continuously shelling the villages in this area.

Ramam Ibrahim posted that the strike had seriously wounded one civilian and added that it had destroyed the farms in the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Nihad Mahmood
35 years old male injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The alleged Turkish airstrikes caused one victim and several injured when it targeted Shiladeza area in Dohuk (via Fazel Hawramy twitter)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Shiladeza (شيلاديزي), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.037778, 43.780833. 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
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI012

Incident date

March 22, 2018

Location

Villages in Choman district, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.637318, 44.890048 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians died and 10 more were injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on villages in the Choman area of Iraqi Kurdistan, local sources reported. According to IC Afrin Resistance, the “Turkish army’s attacks and #TurkishWarCrimes are spreading: Yesterday night at 1:05 am Turkish air-forces bombarded villages in the district Qesre of Erbil (South #Kurdistan / Iraq). 4 civilians were killed due to the air-strikes.”

Hana Comani put the death toll at four with 10 more wounded. While most sources state that all four who died in the strike were civilians, a report by PDK-S detailed that the young men who perished were “Three Peshmerga and one lawyer”.

ANA reported: “Turkish military aircraft launched at 01:00 in the middle of last night raids on the villages of “Wassan, Sargan, and Mawa” near the town of Qusra in the district of Juman in the province of Holler. According to information received from the area, four civilians were killed during a ceremony in Nowruz.”

Additionally, a report by TRT said that “nine terrorists who were ready to attack a military base were eliminated in the ongoing airstrikes against PKK terrorist camps in northern Iraq.” It is unclear whether this is the same raid though the date and location match.

On April 27, 2020, the Christian Peacemaker Teams Iraqi Kurdistan (CPTIK) published an article interviewing the family members of four victims who were killed in the alleged Turkish strikes on the village of Sarkan. The victims were identified as Bezhan Mustafa, Mohammad Ismail, Darbaz Mohammad and Sherko Mahmud, all aged between 20 and 30 years old. According to CPTIK, two of the victims were cousins. Two of them graduated from law college and the other two were Peshmerga.

The men went to their summer house, where they, according to neighbours, “made a fire, grilled meat on the hot coals, and sang joyous songs”. The strike on Sarkan reportedly occured around 1:15 AM. A village elder told CPTIK: “When I arrived, I saw pieces of their burned bodies spread around, mixed with shreds of blankets and fragments of the house. I could not even recognize the bodies. I then collected the remnants and put them in the back of the pickup truck.”

Bezhan’s father told CPTIK that the men “were in no way connected to the PKK”.

The incident occured at 01:15:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

20 years old male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via Haval sedo)
  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via Haval sedo)
  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via PDK)
  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via PDK)
  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via PDK)
  • A victim of Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via PDK)
  • Victims of the Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via Kamal Chomani)
  • Victims of the Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via Kamal Chomani)
  • Victims of the Turkish airstrikes on villages in Choman area, east of Irbil, 22nd March 2018. (via Turkey Untold)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Villages in Choman district, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.637318, 44.890048. 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 type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS284

Incident date

March 21, 2018

Location

بايعة, Ba'iya village, Shirawa district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.6175, 36.936944 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to multiple local sources, two civilians died in an alleged Turkish shelling of Ba’iya village.

The SDF accused the Turkish occupation army of bombing the surrounding villages which resulted in the deaths of civilians in the village of Ba’iya.

Sources reported that “the Kurdish units destroyed a military vehicle of the Turkish army, stressing the killing of all of the Turkish soldiers inside, pointing out at the same time that the Turkish army shelled the vicinity of the villages mentioned, resulting in the deaths of a number of civilians in the village of Baia.”

According to IC Afrin Resistance, due to Turkish army’s artillery shelling at Beye village, Sherawa district, two civilians lost their lives.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, Turkish Military, Kurdish Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ba’iya village, Shirawa district, Afrin (بايعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.6175, 36.936944. 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

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Kurdish Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, Turkish Military, Kurdish Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS283

Incident date

March 19, 2018

Location

كيمار, Kimar village, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.525000, 36.910278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several sources claimed civilians casualties following alleged Turkish airstrikes or artillery shelling on Kimar village, Afrin – though specific numbers were not given.

Claudia, a Kurdish activist, tweeted: “Invaders warplanes are bombing the Kimar village amid intense clashes. We should expect a new massacre of civilians in this village.”

ANF added that “according to reports from the ground, Turkish invasion forces and allied gangs conducted artillery attacks against Basute and Kimara villages in Afrin’s Sherawa district.” ANF went on to add that a heavy bombardment with mortars and howitzers “killed several civilians.”

IC Afrin Resistance reported: “The mosque of Kimar village in Sherawa district has been attacked by Turkish army and related jihadist FSA groups. Civilians have been monitored and they have been attacked by drones belonging to the Turkish army.”

While Hawar reported that there might be martyrs and wounded civilians in the bombing, a later report said that casualties had been reported but did not give numbers.

It is not clear whether the civilians were killed followed the artillery shelling or the airstrike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Kimar village, Afrin (كيمار), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.525000, 36.910278. 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 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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

CS1739a TS282a

Incident date

March 18, 2018

Location

تل حميس, Tal Hamees, South of al Qamishli, Al Hassaka, Syria

Geolocation

36.754529, 41.398836 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources reported that Turkey carried out airstrikes on SDF positions in Tal Hamees, South of al Qamishli. However, other outlets also stated that this was not the case and that the US-led Coalition conducted strikes on homes which reportedly held family members of ISIS. However, no casualty estimates were given.

The Shaam News Network, citing activists, said that Turkish aircraft targeted the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the area of Tal Hamis and at the Umm al-Russ station southeast of the city of Qamishli.

Syria al hadath added: Turkish planes targeted locations of the Kurdish units at the Umm al-Rouss station in the west of Tal Hamis, in the north-eastern countryside of Al-Hasakah.

Al Hasaka Youth Union Facebook page posted: Turkish aircraft target the positions of the militia PYD in the area Tel_hamis southeast of  Qamishli but later corrected themselves, stating that it was, in fact, a Coalition airstrike. The source also ambivalently reported that the strike targeted homes of Iraqi refugees with the claims that IS elements were present there.

Shaam Network also reported it as a Turkish airstrike while Baladi News blamed the Coalition. The source added that homes were targeted because there were claims that there were ISIS militants present.

Baladi said: Local sources from the region said that an aerial landing of the International Coalition, carried out by a helicopter accompanied by two other aircraft, on the area of agricultural projects, pointing out that it targeted two homes inhabited by two Iraqi families, who fled earlier to the region.

According to the sources, the operation was carried out at 2 am, followed by loudspeaker calls, saying that they were soldiers from the International Coalition, followed by intermittent firing.

Some sources said that a Turkish air strike targeted the area near the town of Tal Hamis – but these reports could not be verified.

According to Jisr TV, in the north-east of Hasaka, Coalition forces arrested a number of Iraqi refugees in the countryside of Tel Hamis, after the implementation of an aerial landing in the region.

Asia News provided some more detail, adding that three US helicopters carried out an aerial landing targeting a house between the villages of Kalou and al-Jaysi, 2 km south of Tal Hamis district in the south-eastern suburb of Qamishli.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tal Hamees, South of al Qamishli ( تل حميس), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.754529, 41.398836. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US-led Coalition Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

There were no reported strikes conducted in Syria or Iraq on March 18, 2018.

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Sunday 18 March – a Reaper killed two terrorists on a motorcycle in eastern Syria…On Sunday 18 March, a Reaper tracked a pair of terrorists on a motorcycle south-east of As Shadadi in eastern Syria. It became clear that they were operating as a mobile checkpoint in an attempt to exert control over the local area. The Reaper’s crew waited until the motorcycle was in open country, and despite its high speed, achieved a direct hit with a Hellfire which killed both of the Daesh extremists.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]