Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

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

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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

TS119

Incident date

January 24, 2018

Location

حمام, Hamam village, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.369167, 36.609444 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 25th, Free Afrin – which published a picture of the victim – reported “the martyrdom of the citizen Hussein Hasek after yesterday’s injury as a result of shelling and firing by the Turkish occupation army on the village of Hamam in the countryside of Afrin”.

However according to Rumaf “Hussein Hasek of Hamam died after trying to flee the house where he was detained with 13 civilians by the Turkish forces.”

On January 298th, Rumaf published testimony by a man who talked about his “abduction by Turkish mercenaries as they entered the village of Hammam, and how he managed to survive”:

“I am Shukri Gindi from al Hamam… the FSA came in the morning they were firing in the middle of the village from the evening till the morning going through the whole village. They opened all the doors and gathered everyone they could find. They put us in the mosque and they took away 6 detainees. I was one of the six they put us in a house. In the morning they said they’d come and see us at 1 pm. 1 o’clock came, 2 o’clock and until the evening no one came. We woke up in the morning and no one was there, there was no military personnel anywhere. Every one of us then left and went to our homes and look after our children, our goats. I was told lets go in the pick up there’s no one so we went in the pick up and we got hit with a shell from a tank. One person was killed and I was injured and another person was injured. In  the village and moved from house to house. I couldn’t move because of the injury in my leg .. we were under the shelling. Every day we would move 200 meters or 500 meters depending on the circumstances…”

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hussein Hasek
Age unknown male died as a result of his wounds killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Hussein Hasek, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Hamam village, Afrin, 24th January 2018. (via Qamishlo)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hamam village, Afrin (حمام), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.369167, 36.609444. 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
    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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS182

Incident date

February 11, 2018

Location

قسطل خضرية, Qastal Khadriya, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.753333, 36.781389 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported the death of the civilian Mohammed Rasho, born in 1956, in an alleged Turkish airstrike on the village of Qustal Khadriya.

However, Nuce24 (which placed Mr Rasho’s death on February 10th at Berkashi) seemed to suggest that the victim was not a civilian. It reported that “the General Command of the People’s Protection Units issued a statement remembering the national and revolutionary martyr Mohammed Rachm (Khalo).” The source went on to claim that “Mohammed Rasho (Khalo) did not place old age before his insistence on resistance, and was an active member of the of community protection forces, and stood by our forces moment by moment, which over the years led to the responsibilities entrusted to him. He did not abandon the path of resistance until the moment of his death.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Rasho
Adult male Born 1956 killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

  • Mohammed Rasho, born in 1956 from the village of Qustal Khadria, killed in alleged Turkish shelling on Qastal Khadriya, 11th February 2018. (via Hozan kanbar)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Qastal Khadriya, Aleppo (قسطل خضرية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.753333, 36.781389. 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 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • 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

CS345 TS005d

Incident date

October 22, 2016

Location

الطويحينة, Al Tweihina, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.443611, 37.248056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Airstrikes, possibly carried out by Turkish forces, killed one civilian according to one local report. Others referred only to violent clashes between non state actors.

Smart News Agency reported that “international Coalition aircraft” targeting ISIS in Al Tweihina which it said killed one civilian and two members of the terror group. However, the report identified the village as being located in Raqqa governorate.

The Syrian Observatory reported instead that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attacked “Turkish soldiers” in the vicinity of Al Tweihina. The Observatory added that “different sources confirmed to SOHR that a number of Turkish soldiers were killed” though it may have been referencing rebels supported by Turkey. It did however allude to “aerial reconnaissance aircraft” in the area, possibly belonging to Turkey.

Tal Abiyad posted pictures and video of an armoured vehicle that it said was captured from the “al Sham Front.” (update from December 2018, this video is no longer available to view online.)

Daily Sabah meanwhile cited the Turkish military and reported that “FSA fighters with the support of the Turkish military continued to attack” Kurdish forces in the area. The report cited a number of airstrikes.

In their June 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A map highlighting that the village is in the Aleppo countryside not Raqqa countryside. It is in the bottom left corner of the area highlighted in light blue. (via Airwas researcher)
  • An armoured vehicle reportedly captured by SDF fighters from the “al Sham Front.” (via Tal Abiyad News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Tweihina (الطويحينة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.443611, 37.248056. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCA429345
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020

  • Oct. 22, 2016, in Tweihina, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3072/CS345 37SCA429345

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For October 21st-22nd, the Coalition reported “Near Washiyah, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.” For October 22nd-23rd, the Coalition reported “Near Mar’a, one strike destroyed an ISIL artillery system.”

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS225

Incident date

February 24, 2018

Location

كوتانة، عفرين, Kotana, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.463611, 38.481944 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was killed and seven others were wounded in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, according to sources on the ground.

Hawar News reported “Ibrahim Rashid Rasho, a 4-year-old child, was killed as a result of the shelling. His brother Hussein Rasheed Rasho, aged 5, was also hit. Six others were wounded – they are named below.

IC resistance Afron provided detail on the attack, with testimony from the mother of the dead child: “The mother of the martyred child said that her husband and two children were shepherding the sheep, and she was cleaning the place where they were temporarily staying. She heard the sounds of jets in sky of the village, but she didn’t care as she said the Turkish jets were in the sky of Afrin all the time, However, this time the place where she was began to shake when the jet bombed a place near her. She then went out and saw her two children and husband covered with blood and unconscious. She and some villagers took her two children to the hospital in the center of Afrin city, and her husband stayed at the location of the strike until they could rescue him.”

The source said that Ibrahim Rashid Rasho later “died after direct injury in his jaw and a fragment on his chest”.

The Rasho family had reportedly fled their village of Cholakha due to Turkish artillery strikes and were seeking refuge in Kotana.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ibrahim Rashid Rasho
4 years old male killed
Hussein Rasheed Rasho
5 years old male injured
Mohammad Sido
Age unknown injured
Faik Jaafar
Age unknown injured
Durachta Mohammed
Age unknown injured
Rashid Mohammed Rasho
70 years old injured
Rashid Mohammed Hussein
15 years old injured
Mohamed Nour al-Din Shaaban
17 years old injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rashid Rashid, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. (via IC Afrin resistance)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rashid Rashid, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. (via Rumaf)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rashid Rashid, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. (via Afrin Now)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rashid Rashid, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. It is unclear to Airwars who the victim on the left is. (via Sot Kurdistan)
  • Hussein Rasheed Rasho 9 years old, injured in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. (via Afrin1993)
  • Hussein Rasheed Rasho 9 years old, injured in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Kotana, Afrin, 24th February 2018. (via Afrin Now)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Kotana, Afrin (كوتانة، عفرين), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.463611, 38.481944. 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
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS236

Incident date

March 1, 2018

Location

ميدانكي, Mydanke, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.642500, 36.881389 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One woman died and others were wounded in an alleged Turkish artillery shelling of Mydanke in Afrin, local media reported.

Sources said that the victim was hit by shrapnel.

According to Qsdheza “others” were also wounded in the attack. IC Afrin reported that “many civilians were injured”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Habiba Ibrahim Khalil Mohammad
48 years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an alleged Turkish raid on Mydanke, Afrin, 1st March 2018. (via Afrin now)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Turkish raid on Mydanke, Afrin, 1st March 2018. (via Afrin now)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Habiba Ibrahim Khalil Mohammad, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Mydanke, Afrin, 1st March 2018. (via Ismael Sharif)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Habiba Ibrahim Khalil Mohammad, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Mydanke, Afrin, 1st March 2018. (via Ismael IC Afrin)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Habiba Ibrahim Khalil Mohammad, killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Mydanke, Afrin, 1st March 2018. (via Afrin Qalb Alhadath)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mydanke, Afrin (ميدانكي), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.642500, 36.881389. 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
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS268

Incident date

March 12, 2018

Location

شالتا, Xalta, Shirwra district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.480980, 36.708750 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to a signal source, an adult man from Xalta who was killed followed an alleged Turkish shelling on Shirwra district, Afrin.

Images hows the burial of the man.

No further details are currently available.

 

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Tofir Dehut
50 years old male Via IC Afrin Resistance‏ killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The funeral of a victim who was killed by alleged Turkish shelling on 12th March 2018, Xalta, Shirwra district, Afrin. (via: IC Afrin resistance)
  • The funeral of a victim who was killed by alleged Turkish shelling on 12th March 2018, Xalta, Shirwra district, Afrin. (via: IC Afrin resistance)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Xalta, Shirwra district, Afrin (شالتا), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.480980, 36.708750. 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
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS023

Incident date

December 15, 2016

Location

الباب, Al Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.371972, 37.51631 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The ISIS-affiliated media propaganda outlet Al A’amaq reported one civilian dead and others injured as a result of a Turkish bombardment of Al Bab.

It wrote: “One person killed and eight injured following Turkish bombardment targeting al Bab in the Aleppo countryside this afternoon.”

There are no other known details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Bab (الباب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.371972, 37.51631. 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
    8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]