Incident Code
Incident Date
Location
Geolocation
Geolocation
Airwars Assessment
Several civilians were injured who were passersby to an alleged Turkish drone strike on a vehicle on Qamishli-Tirbespi Road, in Al-Hasakah, Rojava, north-east Syria on Friday July 22nd 2022. The vehicle was reported to have been a military vehicle belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The attack was also said to have been targeting the Military Academy in the city of Ayn al-Arab.
Three local sources reported on civilian harm, with Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that “other people were injured by shrapnel while they were passing in the area.”
Three female SDF commanders were reported killed in this attack who were allegedly part of the SDF Women’s Protection Unit. One commander, reported in media as Salwa Yusuk, but also with alternative names, Berwin Muhammed Buzan, Ciyan Afrin and Gian Tolhildan, was the leader of PKK/PYD militia. According to sources, she was aged around 42.
The other two SDF fighters were reported in international media as Joana Hisso, aged 30, also known as Roj Khabur, and Ruha Bashar, aged 19, also known as Barin Botan.
In a tweet, the US Central Command said that Yusuk was a “critical SDF leader who led forces in combat vs ISIS since the height of the fight to defeat the vile ideology in NE Syria in 2017.” Another US military official, who remained anonymous told NBC News that “there is no doubt she saved American lives on the battlefield.”
The SDF General Commander, Mazloum Abdi, also called them “heroines who participated in the war against ISIS.”
Key Information
Geolocation Notes
Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Na’amatli (نعمتلي) checkpoint, west of Shurak (شورك) village. Analysing audio-visual material from sources we have narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 37.03748981, 41.34373069.
Imagery: @OGNreports
Imagery: Hawar
Imagery: ANHA
Imagery: North Press Agency