(Previous Incident Code: R4547)

Two children were killed and at least four other civilians were injured, including up to three children and two women, in artillery shelling allegedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian forces during the afternoon on August 26th, 2023 in Kansafra, Idlib. The two children were siblings and have been identified by the Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe) as the children of Muhammad Mahmoud al-Mustafa. They were both buried that day.

Sources diverge on the gender of the children, with the Civil Defense stating they were brother and sister, while Syria News and Sky News claimed they were both boys. Along with the siblings, three other children were reported injured along with their mother and another unidentified woman. Syrian Civil Defense took the mother and at least one child to the hospital, before inspecting the neighborhood for further casualties. Syria TV, on information from the Civil Defense, alleged the injured child was a girl. Shaam News alleged those injured were related to the two children who were killed. Though numerous reports state five people were injured, there is some disparity: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights believed four to have been wounded, with Sky News alleging six.

Though sources agree that the casualties were a result of artillery shelling, there is some disagreement regarding the perpetrator. Syrian Civil Defense stated its belief that the shelling was carried out by the Syrian regime and Russian forces, while Orient News alleged the regime along with Iranian militias bombed Kansafra.

Sky News alleged the casualties occurred during an exchange of missile and artillery shelling between the Syrian regime and insurgent group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).

The shelling affected residential areas, including schools. The Civil Defense specified that the schools were in use, with summer clubs and preparation courses for high school exams taking place.