Incident Code

TS615

Location

تل معروف, Tal Maarouf, Al Hassakah, Syria

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

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.”

Victims

Invidivuals

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

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
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 killed
2
1 Woman, 1 Man

Military Statements

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

Media From Sources (5)