Airwars assessment
Shortly before 2:14 PM on Monday, January 1st, 2024, artillery and missile shelling allegedly launched by the Syrian regime and/or Russian forces and/or Iranian forces killed at least five identified civilians and injured at least 11 civilians, including an infant and three other children, in the city of Darat Azza in Aleppo governorate, Syria.
The Syrian Civil Defence (also known as “White Helmets”) shared multiple reports on civilian harm in Darat Azza and the surrounding countryside, ultimately providing the toll that three civilians were killed and four others, including a child and infant, were injured. Twitter user @aboeliass22 reported that an infant harmed by the strike was less than one month old, and multiple local sources posted a graphic image of an infant with a head wound. Ahsam News provided the highest toll, reporting that five people were killed in Darat Izza. Twitter/X user @k7ybnd99 reported five deaths and ten injuries among civilians.
The civilian men Imad Sabbagh, Raqi Al Haj Ahmad, and Abdel Nasser Dadou were among those killed in Darat Azza.
According to reports by the Syria Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe), the late Imad Sabbagh was the sole breadwinner for his family, which included providing for his four children and mother. He had been unable to complete repairs of his house before his death, which was damaged by shelling that had occurred a few days earlier. The SCD added an image of Imad – a man in his 40s with dark hair and a mustache wearing a pink T-shirt and grey trousers.
According to Ahsam News, Raqi Al Haj Ahmad, from the town of Kafr Sajna, was a “decent young man” and the head of the Electricity Department in Darat Azza. The post included an image of Raqi sitting at a desk, wearing a brown suit with a maroon shirt.
Abdel Nasser Dadou was killed while going to the bakery to pick up food for his children and grandchildren, according to a report by the Syria Civil Defense, which also included an image of Abdel Nasser, a man in his 60s or 70s with gray hair and a gray beard and sitting in a field with a kitten in his lap.
Twitter/X user @Syrianrev2011 provided the names of the civilians killed and injured in the attack on Darat Azza written on a piece of paper. The source named the killed civilians as Dia’a Hassan 58 years old, Ziyad Hassan 58 years old, Imad Sabbagh 35 years old, Abdel Nasser Dadou 60 years old. The injured civilians were also listed: Mohammed Hamid Abbas 15 years old; Loa’ay Eisa; Hassan Eisa; Yasser Eisa; Rasmiyah Abdo; Yasmeen Eisa; Hajer Mohammad Hassan 6 years old; Hisham Murshed Hassaneh 13 years old; Ziyad Emad Zamzam 2 months old; Mohammad Omar Bakour 30 years old; Rami Rajab 25 years old.
The @SyriaCivilDefe also reported that the shelling hit a bakery, a mosque, the city market, an electrical facility, and residential neighbourhoods in Darat Izza. Images posted by @aboalhodaalhoms and Moaid Ismael reportedly show falafel pieces and bread scattered on the ground in a large pool of blood from a victim of the attack along with other damage to the road and sidewalk.
The @SyriaCivilDefe spoke with Abdul Qader Arab, a survivor of the attack on Darat Izza, who described what happened: “My family and I were moments away from death, while we were eating at home when suddenly the place turned into destruction and dust with the sound of a huge explosion after a shell fell on the house and parts of it were destroyed. Thank God we were not in the room that was most damaged and filled with destruction and we were among the survivors. The first thing I checked on was my certificate that I lost among the rubble, my belongings, and my memories.” Images that accompanied the tweet showed a home with a large hole in the roof of a bedroom, and a man can be seen sorting through papers.
A video posted by @aboalhodaalhoms showed journalist Mohamed Abu Al-Huda Al-Hamsi standing by a crater in the road reportedly caused by the strike. Journalist Mohammed Faisal (@mhmdfaisel) also reported from the scene of the strike.
Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the attack. The Syrian Civil Defense and Twitter/X user @Jamili_Alhasaan attribute the shelling to the Syrian regime. Twitter/X users @k7ybnd99 and @Ahmad_1alshble alleged that the Syrian regime and Hezbollah were jointly responsible, while Twitter/X user @mhmdfaisel alleged that the Syrian regime and Iranian forces were responsible. Twitter/X users @Syrine_Za15, @mzmgr941, and @walid_AL_idlibi all alleged that Russian and Iranian forces were responsible.
The Syria Civil Defense and Twitter user @HadiAlabdallah both reported that the ongoing bombardment impeded ambulances and rescue crews from carrying out their work.
The incident occured at approximately 2:14 pm local time.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
Family members (4)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (34) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (54) [ collapse]
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @SyriaCivilDefe -
Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
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Source: @Syrine_Za15 -
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Source: @walid_AL_idlibi -
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Source: @aboalhodaalhoms -
Source: @Hamoudi_Free_Sy
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Source: @k7ybnd99 -
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Source: @k7ybnd99 -
Source: @Ahmad_1alshble
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Source: @Ahmad_1alshble
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Source: @Ahmad_1alshble
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Source: @Ahmad_1alshble
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Source: @Syrianrev2011
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Source: Al Marsad Al Madani -
Source: Ihsem news
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Source: Moaid Ismael -
Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Moaid Ismael
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Source: Al Arabi news aganey
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Source: Al Arabi news aganey
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Source: Al Arabi news aganey
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Source: Al Arabi news aganey
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Source: Ahmad Abed -
Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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Source: MMC
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