Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

TS615

Incident date

July 27, 2023

Location

تل معروف, Tal Maarouf, Al Hassakah, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Thursday, the 27th of July, an alleged Turkish military drone strike on two vehicles near Tal Maarouf in Syria’s northeast region resulted in the death of two civilians. At least four members of  the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Internal Security Forces (Asayish) were also killed in the strike, while up to another four have been reported to be injured.

Initial reportage by NPA and Rudaw stated that the vehicles bombed were opposite the village of Al Shaibaniyyah, on the road between Tal Maarouf and Khazna in the countryside of Al Qamishli, and that while there were reports of injuries and casualties and eyewitnesses saying “ambulances went to the scene”, no official comments or statements had been released to specify the numbers.

In the following days, statements released by the Council of Martyr’s Families in the Jazera region and by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava) revealed the identities of the two civilians killed – a young woman in her early to mid-twenties, Waad Ali al-Khalouf, born in the village of Samihan in Tal Brak district in 1998, and a young man, Muhammad Faisal Oman, from the village of Khazna.

Al Hadath covered a statement released by Asayish, which claimed that its vehicles were attacked, reporting the death of three of its soldiers, and the injury of another two. In a Facebook post covering a later incident, Neynik referred back to the drone strike, claiming the death of three SDF forces, including a leader, and the injury of four, two of which were identified as women. The Women’s Protection Unit in the SDF released a statement confirming the deaths of four of its members in the incident.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strike to Turkey, with the Council of Martyr’s Families stating  “the Turkish occupation state’s extermination campaigns continue against the citizens of northern and eastern Syria, as its drones targeted, on July 27, two cars on the road to the town of Tal Maarouf.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Waad Ali al-Khalouf وعد علي الخلوف
25 years old female killed
Muhammad Faisal Oman محمد فيصل عمر
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–4

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • One of the members of the Women's Protection Units killed by alleged Turkish drone strikes on July 27, 2023. (Image posted by قامشلو قلب روج ٱڣٱآ Qamislo via Facebook)
  • One of the members of the Women's Protection Units killed by alleged Turkish drone strikes on July 27, 2023. (Image posted by قامشلو قلب روج ٱڣٱآ Qamislo via Facebook)
  • One of the members of the Women's Protection Units killed by alleged Turkish drone strikes on July 27, 2023. (Image posted by قامشلو قلب روج ٱڣٱآ Qamislo via Facebook)
  • One of the members of the Women's Protection Units killed by alleged Turkish drone strikes on July 27, 2023. (Image posted by قامشلو قلب روج ٱڣٱآ Qamislo via Facebook)
  • Vehicles destroyed by by alleged Turkish drone strikes on July 27, 2023. (Image posted by Rudaw News)

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–4

Sources (11) [ collapse]