Airwars assessment
Up to two civilians were killed and between two and four other civilians were injured in alleged Russian or regime artillery shelling of the town of Afes on February 27, 2022.
The Syrian Civil Defense reported that two civilians were killed and two others were injured when the regime forces and Russian forces bombed a market in the center of Afes.
Syrian Network for Human Rights gave the names of the two civilians killed: Hussein Aboud al Aboud and Ismail Farzat Mas’oud. Local news channel @Almohrar1 reported the names of the civilians injured: Iyad Zreik and Zaher Masoud. Zaman Al Wasl added that Iyad Zreik is the principal of the school of the town of “Afes”.
Shaam News quotes activists who said that a popular market was struck with several artillery shells, which led to the death of two civilians and the wounding of others, including a teacher, in addition to the “massive destruction of the facilities” of the market. @Syrianfreeyouth also identified a kindergarten as being struck by the shelling and Zaman Al Wasl add details of the location as being ” in the center of the town of “Afes”, near the city of “Saraqib” at the intersection of the two international highways (M4 and M5)”.
Macro Media Center reported on the incident, providing information that four people were injured and one person was killed in the artillery shelling.
According to Zaiton Mag, “the civil defense teams rescued the victims and treated the injured from the village clinic to the hospitals in Idlib city.”
Syrian Network for Human Rights noted that “the village’s main market has been almost empty recently as most of the village residents were displaced as a result of previous military operations by the Syrian-Russian alliance in the region.”
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified Afes village as “considered as one of the “Turkish Army” strongholds in “De-escalation Zone” where number of points and bases of the Turkish Army are located”.
The majority of sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to the Syrian regime. However, local journalist @anasanas84 and a local nonprofit @Syrianfreeyouth blamed the shelling on Russian forces.
The incident occured in the afternoon.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (35) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]
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White Helmets rescue and treat one of the civilians injured in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Afes on February 27, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Hussein Aboud al Aboud, killed in alleged Russian or regime shelling of Afes village on February 27, 2022. (Image posted by Hussein Al Hadidi via Facebook)