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Airwars Assessment
On December 9, 2024, a Turkish military drone strike allegedly hit the village of Harmal in the countryside of Zarkan (Abu Rasin), in al-Jazeera canton, resulting in the confirmed killing of one civilian and injuries to two others. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Hassan Hassan (45, Male).
According to multiple local news agencies, the attack occurred as Turkish drones struck the area, hitting civilians who were reportedly working in agricultural fields at the time. Hawar News Agency reported: “The occupation’s shelling of the village of Harmal resulted in the martyrdom of a citizen and the injury of two others, of whom the citizen Muhammad Hassan Hassan (45) was identified.”
Hawar News further added details that the two injured civilians were from the city of al-Shaddadi and had been employed in the fields when targeted, highlighting the civilian character of the casualties. Both were initially treated in al-Darbasiyah, with one transferred to al-Hasakah for further care.
ANF News, Roj News and Hawarnews posted images, partially blurred, showing the injuries inflicted on civilians. One of the images showed the injured foot of a civilian, while the others showed a severely injured (or dead) man with an abdominal injury.
ANF.news also confirmed the casualties: “A person was martyred and two others were injured as a result of the Turkish occupation’s bombing of the city of Zarkan.” The outlet stressed that these attacks form part of “ongoing genocidal attacks launched by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries against the peoples of the North and East of Syria region.”
North Press Agency noted that Turkish drones targeted “points in the villages of Harmal, Mahramla and Talah,” with reports of intermittent strikes on the wider region of Abu Rasin (Zarkan) throughout the day, underscoring the intensity of the bombardment.
Facebook user Kurdish Human Rights also echoed these reports, describing “Turkish occupation drones bombing the countryside of Zarkan city in Al-Jazeera canton, amid reports of a martyr and the injury of a number of citizens.”
NPA News shared a picture related to the event. The photograph depicted a sunlit street in what appeared to have been a small town or village in Syria, marked by extensive destruction. Rubble and broken concrete blocks lay scattered across the foreground, spilling onto a dirt road, while piles of cinder blocks and bricks were heaped haphazardly to the right, evidence of buildings that had been smashed or deliberately dismantled. A partially collapsed wall jutted from the center of the image, casting a shadow over the debris, and behind it stood a low, battered building with faded, chipped plaster and walls pocked with shrapnel scars, suggesting it had been struck by artillery or airstrikes. The roofline was cluttered with water tanks, satellite dishes, and metal framework, and a cluster of trees on the left cast deep shade over the ruined street where a bicycle leaned at the far edge of the road, a fragile and incongruous reminder of civilian life.
When discussing responsibility, all sources explicitly attributed the attack to the Turkish military.
Geolocation Notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Harmal (حرمل), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.906667, 40.356944. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.