Airwars assessment
Five civilians, including two children and a woman, were killed and up to 17 were injured in alleged YPG artillery strikes on a market in Afrin, north of Aleppo, on March 18th, 2020, according to local sources.
Ibrahim Abu Al-Laith from the media office of the Syrian Civil Defence told Bawaba Aleppo that “five shells landed in a local market in the centre of Afrin, killing five civilians and wounding seven others, in varying conditions, which were transferred to Turkish hospitals.” SCD later published the names of the killed victims on Facebook, including the names of two children, and the names of those wounded.
Step News Agency reported that the Qasd militia targeted Villat Street with grad missiles, killing five civilians and wounding 17. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 12 injured, including women and children, and material damage in the targeted areas. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that the shelling partially destroyed shops and damaged the market’s facilities.
According to TRT Arabi, the Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that three civilians were killed and nine others were injured due to missile shelling with five Grad rockets, blaming the YPG for the attack. However, the Syrian Civil Defence published the names of five killed civilians.
Among the victims were Mohamed Al Sayed (25) and his nephew Abdullah Al Sayed (10). The child Khaled Al Dabaan was also killed. Abdulkarim Al Halabi wrote on Facebook that the 12-year-old boy “dreamed that he would become a [football] player and he always came to practice first, in addition to that he was working in a small shop and he would help his parents.”
Al Modon’s correspondent Muhammad Ayoub reported that “two shells landed near the Dersem Hospital in Al Failat Street, and two shells near the Al Shifa’ Hospital near Mazout Street, and a shell on Mazout Street. It resulted in great material damage in the shops near the site.” Several sources reported that the incident occured in the afternoon.
Step added that “the Syrian Civil Defense teams rushed to the area to help the wounded and the injured and transport them to the field hospitals, while the opposition forces closed the street in the city centre until the injured were transported.”
Bawaba Aleppo blamed the Syrian Democratic Forces for the attack, others more specifically the Al Qasd militia. Edlib Media Center reported that Turkish forces “retaliated with firing several shells at the locations of the Qasd militia in Shwaragha and Meng in the northern countryside of Aleppo.”
The incident occured in the afternoon.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (28) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (26) [ collapse]
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Damage at the market after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Damaged market stalls after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Damaged market stalls after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Aftermath of alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Smoke after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Site of impact after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Site of impact after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Bawaba Aleppo).
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Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering the bodies of killed victims and helping wounded civilians after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
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Firemen distinguishing fire after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
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Aftermath of alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
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Syrian Civil Defence volunteers and civilians helping the wounded after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
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Syrian Civil Defence volunteers carrying an injured boy into an ambulance after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).
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Aftermath of alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Step News Agency).
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Destruction after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Step News Agency).
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Destroyed vehicle after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Step News Agency).
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Civilians carrying victims out of a hit market stall after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via Step News Agency).
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Wounded man receiving medical help after alleged YPG artillery strikes on a market in Afrin, March 18th, 2020 (via Jeser News). -
Wounded man in presumably a hospital after alleged YPG artillery strikes on a market in Afrin, March 18th, 2020 (via Jeser News).
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Presumably an injured man after alleged YPG artillery strikes on a market in Afrin, March 18th, 2020 (via Jeser News).
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Damage at the market after alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via @tcsavunma).
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Aftermath of alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin city, Aleppo governorate, on March 18th, 2020 (via @tcsavunma).
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Wounded boy receiving medical help after alleged YPG artillery strikes on the city of Afrin on March 18th, 2020 (via Mustafa Sheikho on Facebook).
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Man wounded in alleged YPG artillery strikes on the city of Afrin on March 18th, 2020 (via Mustafa Sheikho on Facebook).
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Abdul Salam Hamsho, from the village of Meng, was killed in alleged YPG artillery strikes on the city of Afrin on March 18th, 2020 (via Ahora Mazda on Facebook). -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Mohamed Al Sayed and his nephew Abdullah Al Sayed (10) were killed in alleged YPG artillery strikes on Afrin, March 18th, 2020 (via Sami Al Boush on Facebook).