Airwars assessment
Up to ten civilians were injured in alleged SDF or Syrian regime artillery strikes on the city of Azaz, Aleppo governorate, on January 16th, 2020, according to local sources.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored “a missile strike carried out by the ‘Kurdish forces’ stationed in Maranaz within the northern sector of Aleppo countryside, targeting the city of Azaz under the control of the ‘Turkish forces’ and the factions loyal to it, which resulted in the injury of 8 civilians of varying injuries, including 3 children under the age of 18.”
Smart News reported that Ibrahim Al Laith, director of media of the Syrian Civil Defence, stated that nine civilians were wounded due to shelling by the SDF. Al Laith further reported that the shelling resulted into the burning of a civilian car and the destruction of houses. Local activists, however, told SMART that the Qasd militia, stationed near Meng military airport, were responsible.
Activist Bashar Al Faris told Horrya that an SDF militia based in Maranaz fired six rockets into Azaz at 4:15 PM, resulting into 9 injured civilians, including three children. SyriaTV reported that six Katyusha rockets were fired.
Bas News provided context, stating that the SDF and militias loyal to the Turkish army had erupted on January 16th. Their source stated that “militias loyal to the Turkish army bombed the sites of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the regime in the countryside of Tal Rifaat and the Ming airport in the northern countryside of Aleppo without receiving any reports of human losses.
A Kurdish source familiar with the region told Bas News that “a mutual bombing took place between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the militias loyal to the Turkish army in Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo, which resulted in injuries.”
The incident occured at approximately 4:15 pm local time.