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

TS336b

Incident date

November 13, 2019

Location

الحسكة, Hasaka, Syria

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were reported injured in different locations in Hasaka governorate on October 13th, 2019 according to the Kurdish Red Crescent, as a result of alleged Turkish forces attacks.

The civilians, a woman and two men, are originally from Terbesipiye, Til Kocher and Tel Hamees. No further details available at the moment.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mirfet Ahmad
35 years old female Trauma injured
Hawas Ali al Hussen
28 years old male Broken leg injured
Abdulrahman Ahmad Hadi
45 years old male Head shot injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS373A

Incident date

October 28, 2019

Location

عين عيسى, Ayn Issa, Raqqa, Syria

Airwars assessment

According to the Kurdish Red Crescent, one civilian was reported injured in an alleged Turkish attack on Ayn Issa, Raqqa in Syria on October 28th, 2019.

The civilian was identified as Abdullah Mustafa Hussein, male, aged 37 and he was injured as a result of fragments.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdullah Mustafa Hussein
37 years old male KRC injured

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 (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

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 (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS408

Incident date

February 3, 2020

Location

عقيبة, Aqiba, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.437500, 36.968333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that Turkish forces targeted villages in Afrin including Aqiba village during the night, leading to the death of one elderly civilian, an the injury of other civilians including his daughter, on February 3rd, 2020.

NPA Syria reported that “a Syrian civilian was killed and a woman was injured due to the Turkish forces shelling on the village of Aqiba in Sherawa district, south of the Syrian-Kurdish region of Afrin.”, and that “67-year-old Ali Malla lost his life, and his daughter Zainab was wounded after their house was targeted by the Turkish military and its affiliated armed opposition groups’ bombardment on February 3rd, 2020.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

67 years old male killed

Summary

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

  • Alleged Turkish shelling on Afrin, Syria on February 3rd, 2020 (via Raperinagel9).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish shelling on villages in Afrin, Syria on February 3rd, 2020 (via NPASyria).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Ali Malla, 67, was reported killed by alleged Turkish shelling on Aqiba village in Afrin, Syria on February 3rd, 2020 (via Rojavanetwork).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Aqiba (عقيبة) for which the generic coordinates are: 36.437500, 36.968333. 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 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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

TI036

Incident date

May 30, 2020

Location

درلوك, Deralok, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.056989, 43.652121 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A father and son were killed and another civilian was injured after an alleged Turkish airstrike near the town of Deraluk, Amedi district, on May 30th, 2020, according to local media reports.

The victims were Jalal Nuradin, 60, and his son Ahmed Nuradin, 32, reported K24, Christian Peacemaker Teams and Ahval.

Khalil Nerway, a relative of the victims, said an additional person was injured in the strike. “We have not yet seen the wounded, but we are told that his health is stable”, Mr. Nerway told Rudaw. Jalal, a retired Peshmerga, and his son were farming ancestral land “to make ends meet for their families”, according to the source. Neither of the bodies had been returned to the family at the time of reporting due to the difficulties in accessing the site of the bombing according to Mr. Nerway.

K24, Christian Peacemaker Teams and Ahval reported that the strike took place in the village of Hetuta.

Rudaw quoted unnamed officials as saying the strike targeted “suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the Deralok sub-district of Amedi, close to the border with Turkey”. The attack took place at 09:30 am, according to Rudaw reporter Nasir Ali.

On May 30th 2020, the official Twitter account of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey Tweeted: “Two PKK terrorists, who were identified by means of reconnaissance and surveillance in the Avasin region of northern Iraq, were neutralized by an air operation. Our operations will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized.”

Mohammed Salim Nerweyi, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Deralok, told Rudaw that the deceased were civilians.

“No politician has even come to talk to us and offer condolences” Ahmad Nuradeen Muhiyadeen, Jalal’s brother, told The Guardian on April 4th, 2021.

Adam Gnych, who reported on the incident, provided Airwars with a transcript of an interview with Ahmed Nuradeen Muhiyadeen, Jalal’s brother:

“When we left for the trip there were four of us – me, Jalal, Ahmed and one of our neighbours. In the evening we went and stayed in the valley (the Rashava valley). Before dawn we set off, on the other side of the mountain we split the group, Jelal, Ahmed and our neighbour went one way, I went another way. I collected some mushrooms and some grasses; in the evening I came back home to Deraluk. The others stayed there for three days. On the fourth day, when they intended to come back to Deraluk, they were targeted. My neighbour told me that he found a beehive, he told Jalal and Ahmad to wait for him and drink some tea, on his way to the beehives he heard two bombings. When he returned to the place he saw that Jalal and Ahmed had been killed along with their horses. The area is very far away and surrounded by mountains so it’s hard to get a signal (telephone)… the incident took place at 8:30 am at 10 am we were contacted and told that both of them had been killed…. Jalal was a peshmerga before he retired. He couldn’t afford to sustain his family, our economic situation was very hard. Ahmed was jobless so they were obliged to risk their lives by going to the mountains to collect grasses and mushrooms to sell in the local bazaar.”

According to Mr Muhiyadeen, Ahmad had studied until the 6th grade, at which point he was forced to leave school due to the family’s economic situation. “He was so smart and so clever, he knew as much as a teacher. He was always reading the Quran and he liked playing football with his friends… I want this conflict to stop, neither the PKK nor Turkey have any reason to be here, they are just here to ruin our lives, we hope this war stops so that no more civilians will become victims like my brother and nephew.”

According to the family, Jalal was a father of eight (six sons and two daughters), Ahmed had two wives and three children (two sons one daughter).

The incident occured at 08:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

60 years old male Father of Ahmed Nuradin killed
32 years old male Son of Jalal Nuradin killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • An image of Jalal and Ahmed Nuradin, who were killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike while they were farming their ancestral land on May 30th 2020. (Uploaded by K24)
  • The graves of Ahmed and Jalal Nuradin, who were killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike near the town of Deraluk on May 30th, 2020. (Uploaded by Christian Peacemaker Teams)
  • An image that accompanied a Rudaw article about the strike. The image ran with the caption: “Deraluk’s Linkiyan mountains, where Saturday’s airstrike took place” (Uploaded by Rudaw TV)
  • A graphic showing the location of an alleged Turkish strike that killed Ahmed and Jalal Nuradin on May 30th, 2020. (Uploaded by The Guardian)
  • A map that accompanied a Rudaw article about the strike on May 30th, 2020, which killed Ahmed and Jalal Nuradin. (Uploaded by Rudaw)
  • An image that accompanied an article about the death of Jalal and Ahmed Nuradin who died in an alleged Turkish airstrike near the town of Deraluk on May 30th 2020. (Uploaded by K24)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Deraluk (درلوك), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.056989, 43.652121. 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

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS453

Incident date

October 22, 2020

Location

صيدا‎, Sayda, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.402080, 38.863921 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian male was critically injured in alleged Turkish or Turkish mercenary artillery strikes on the M4 road near the village of Sayda, Raqqa governorate, on October 22nd, 2020, according to local sources.

Correspondents for Hawar News reported that “[Turkish] mercenaries targeted civilians on M4 road by firing shells at the road and its surroundings; consequently, a citizen named Ahmed Ali Jumaa at 30 was wounded, after which he was transferred to a hospital in the city of Raqqa, and his condition was described as critical.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported two injured civilians, describing “a rocket attack by Turkish forces targeting a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), in Ain Issa area north of Raqqa, injuring two civilians who were near the checkpoint.”

According to ANF, “the artillery of the Turkish jihadist occupation troops struck in the immediate vicinity of the grain silos in Qizelî in the afternoon. The shelling on the village of Sayda, which marks the border between the occupation zone Girê Spî and Ain Issa, as well as on the center of the city and the international route M4, continues.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

30 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Ahmed Ali Jumaa was injured in alleged Turkish strikes near the M4 road near Sayda village on October 22nd, 2020 (via Hawar News).
  • Translation: "The Turkish occupation and its mercenaries renew the shelling of Ain Issa and its countryside, seriously wounding a civilian" (via Hawar News).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sayda (صيدا‎) located in the vicinity of the M4 highway, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.402080, 38.863921. 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
    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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI063

Incident date

July 7, 2021

Location

هرور, Hiror, Duhok, Iraq

Geolocation

37.229298, 43.438993 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and two civilians were injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Harur on July 7, 2021.

A security source told Shafaq News Agency, “Turkish warplanes bombed the vicinity of Harour village in Kani Masi district in Al-Amadiyah district in Dohuk governorate. The aerial bombardment resulted in the injury of a citizen and cut off the electricity in the village of Harour.”

Kurdistan Today reported that “A number of people were seriously injured, while the electrical power was cut off, as a result of the bombing of the Turkish warplanes” but did not specify how many people were injured.

Sabah Arabi added that “the village that was subjected to the Turkish bombardment is surrounded by pastures and farms owned by the residents of that district.”

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the airstrikes to Turkey.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hiror (هرور), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.229298, 43.438993. 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
    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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS484

Incident date

January 20, 2022

Location

عقيبة, Aqiba, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.4375, 36.968333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A least one civilian, a girl, was injured in alleged Turkish strikes on the village of Aqiba on January 20, 2022.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a girl was seriously injured when Turkish forces struck the village of Aqiba, in addition to damaging a number of civilians’ homes.

Both Hawar News and Xeber24 also reported that Turkish forces bombed Aqiba village but neither source included information about casualties.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Aqiba (عقيبة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.4375, 36.968333. 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
    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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS511

Incident date

May 29, 2022

Location

معلق, Mu’allaq, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.388201, 38.862774 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a young man, was injured in alleged Turkish shelling of the village of Mu’allaq on the morning of May 29, 2022.

According to North Press Agency, a civilian was injured in shelling carried out by Turkish forces and their affiliated Syrian National Army (SNA) faction on a village west of Ain Issa. The name of the young man that was injured is Fadi Khallawi and he was taken to Omar Alloush hospital in the town to receive treatment, and his condition is stable.

An Xeber24 correspondent from inside Ain Issa added that the shelling occurring in the morning in the village of Muallaq, resulting in the injury of one civilian.

All of the sources that reported on the incident blamed Turkish forces and identified one civilian as being wounded.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    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
    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]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Fadi Khalawi, a civilian injured in alleged Turkish shelling of the village of Muallaq, west of Ain Issa on May 29, 2022. (Image posted by Hawar News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mu’allaq (معلق), allegedly located west of Ain Issa (عين عيسى‎) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Ain Issa are: 36.388201, 38.862774.

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
    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 (6) [ collapse]