Incident Code

TS543

Location

سيكركا, Sikirka, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

37.052436, 41.851494
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

Six civilians, including four children and women, were injured in alleged Turkish shelling of the village of Sikirka east of Qamishli city on August 9, 2022.

Hawar News reported that Turkish bombings of multiple villages east of Qamishli city and in Amuda sub-district resulted in the injury of seven civilians, four of whom are children. Hawar also documented the names of the six civilians that were injured in the village of Sikirka: Halabja Rashid 33 years old, Arin Abdel Aziz Al-Hassan 38 years old, children Muhammad Salah 12 years old, Miran Salah 10 years old, Ilan Salah 5 years old, and Baland Muhammad Shams El-Din 16 years old. The correspondent for Hawar confirmed that the injured were being treated at Al-Rahma Hospital in Qamishlo city.

A Facebook post by “Human rights in Jazeera” stated that the artillery shells launched at the village of Sikirka struck a home and resulted in the injury of women and children, without specifying how many. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that children were injured without providing a number.

Nor Mahmod posted on Facebook that three of the people injured were from the same family, and their home that was struck by the shelling is located “near the silos”. Kurdistan Rêbaza Barzaniyê Nemir added that the shelling caused an exodus of citizens from the area, displacing hundreds, due to the mortars and heavy machine guns.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the shelling to Turkey. A Facebook post by “Kurdistan Rêbaza Barzaniyê Nemir” reported that an exchange of shelling took place between the SDF and the Turkish army, and specified that the shell that struck a home in the village of Sikirka and caused civilian casualties was launched by the army from inside Turkish territory.

Victims

Family members (3)

Muhammad Salah محمد صالح
12 years old injured
Miran Salah ميران صلاح
10 years old injured
Ilan Salah ايلان صلاح
5 years old injured

Invidivuals

Halabja Rashid حلبجة رشيد
33 years old injured
Arin Abdel Aziz Al-Hassan آرين عبد العزيز الحسن
38 years old injured
Baland Muhammad Shams El-Din بلند محمد شمس الدين
16 years old injured

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Artillery
Strike Status
Likely strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported injured
6
4 Children, 2 Women

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sikirka (سيكركا), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.052436,41.851494. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

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

Media From Sources (5)