On Monday, December 2, 2024, an artillery shelling with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militias affiliated with the Turkish military and/or Syrian regime forces struck residential neighborhoods in Hama city, Syria, including the al-Baath neighborhood and Pasha roundabout, resulting in the deaths of at least six to eight civilians, among them at least two children under the age of 18.

According to SOHR.news, the shells fell near the Pasha roundabout, Fatima Al-Saqa School, and the Ahfad Al-Rasoul (Grandchildren of the Messenger) Mosque inside the city, killing eight civilians and injuring others. SOHR attributed the attack to factions under the command of the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation, noting: “8 citizens were martyred, including two people under the age of 18, as a result of shelling carried out by the factions under the leadership of ‘Deterrence of Aggression’ for the first time, on the neighborhoods of Hama city with rocket launchers.”

The “Deterrence of Aggression” operation refers to the Syrian rebel offensive that began on November 27, 2024, led by the Military Operations Command, a coalition of Syrian revolutionary factions including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and supported by Turkish-backed groups.

Syria-news.news reported slightly lower casualty figures, citing pro-regime sources that claimed: “the number of victims of the shells reached 5 dead and 3 injured.” They also highlighted the contested nature of the attribution, noting “an exchange of accusations between the armed opposition and the regime forces about the source of the shell.”

Eremnews.news, citing AFP via the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed at least six civilian fatalities in the Al-Baath neighborhood, stating that “the bombing resulted in the martyrdom of 6 civilians, and the injury of others.”

Our Country Guards on Facebook posted that “two citizens were killed by shells that fell on Al-Basha roundabout in Al-Baath neighborhood inside the city of Hama,” while Salar Hawrami claimed that “8 citizens, including a child, were killed in shelling on Hama city.” The account also shared a video allegedly related to the event. The video showed an intersection in an urban area, with several parked cars and men walking alone. In the background, the street extended forward and was lined with cars, buildings, and overhead streetlights. The most striking feature was the large, dense cloud of greyish-white smoke billowing upward and outward, partially obscuring the urban landscape behind it. The smoke was thick and swirling, suggesting it was recently generated by an explosion or artillery impact.

Al-Madina FM’s correspondent confirmed: “5 citizens were killed and 3 others were injured as a result of a rocket falling on Al-Baath neighborhood in Hama city.”

These varied reports indicate a highly contested attribution for the attack, with most sources agreeing on significant civilian harm, though with differing fatality estimates. Responsibility was broadly attributed to opposition factions—particularly Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and allied groups—who were reported to have launched a broader military offensive in northern Syria at the time.

When belligerents were identified, most sources explicitly attributed the attack to HTS and its allied factions affiliated with the Turkish military, while some held the Syrian regime forces accountable.