Geolocation
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Airwars assessment
Between six and eight civilians, including four children and two women, were injured in alleged SDF or regime strikes on Afrin on July 25, 2021.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “Civilians injured and SCD center damaged in SDF shelling of Afrin city in Aleppo suburbs on July 25. Syrian Democratic Forces used a missile launcher to fire six missiles at Afrin city in the northern suburbs of Aleppo governorate on July 25, 2021, injuring seven civilians, with one of the missiles landing on the city’s Civil Defense center, partially damaging the center and three of its vehicles (one ambulance and two service cars).”
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported “several rockets hit residential neighbourhoods in Afrin city which is under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions, as the rocket fire targeted Ma’rata roundabout, Raju road and al-Villat street, amid reports of injury of civilians. However, it is not known if Kurdish or regime forces fired these rockets.”
Syrian Civil Defense added that “8 civilians were injured in an initial toll (4 children, two women, and two men, one of whom is in critical condition). The toll provided by @zenhom75 was that “6 civilians were injured in the initial outcome”.
A post by @ammar_sakkar listed the names of those injured in the strikes: Nada Al-Zaher, 29 years old (F), child Muawiyah Akash (M), Child Fadi Tawil (M), Qadriya Sido 65 years old (F), child Khadija Ahmed Al-Taweel (F), Child Tamim Ahmed Al-Taweel (M), Hassan Allawi, 38 years old (M)
Volunteer Muhammad Ali Haj Ahmed talks about the moments of targeting the Syrian Civil Defense Center in the city of #Afrin, north of #Aleppo: “I didn’t expect the bombing to be on us, we immediately ran out to save people, but when they saw the bombing of our center, they ran to us to help us, thank God there were no injuries from the team, people’s eagerness for us could not be described, this thing makes us continue to help them and save them. Despite the great danger that we were exposed to, in the last period we lost colleagues with the bombing of the regime and Russia on our centers and teams during the response, and a while ago we were exposed to the city of Afrin by bombing that targeted us while we were treating the wounded to the hospital. Targeting humanitarian workers is a war crime, but unfortunately the criminals when they saw no punishment increased their crime, our message. Today, we have no goal, and the perpetrators of this crime and other crimes of targeting humanitarian workers and civilians must be held accountable, because leaving them is a green light to commit more crimes.”
SN4HR also pointed out that “the targeted area is a civilian one and free of any military presence or equipment” and Shaam News Network referenced that the strikes “targeted indiscriminately the city of Afrin, targeting residential neighborhoods crowded with civilians, and the Civil Defense Center in the city center, leaving great material damage to the center’s mechanisms.”
Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the strikes. SN4HR attributed the strikes to the SDF while SOHR was uncertain whether the Kurdish or regime forces fired the rockets. The Syrian Civil Defense also pointed out that the strikes came “from areas controlled by the regime forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces” and @MMCSYR referred to the strikes as a “joint bombardment by the regime forces and the “SDF” organization”. An image posted by @yahya_kadaa shows the location where the shells were launched from but doesn’t identify who was responsible.
The incident occured in the afternoon.
The victims were named as:
Family members (3)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (42) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (35) [ collapse]
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Damage to a building caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)
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Strikes damaged a Civil Defense building in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)
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Damage to an emergency vehicle caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Damage to a building caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Damage caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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A Civil Defense member after strikes on their center in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Damage to an emergency vehicle caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by Edlib Media Center)
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Damage caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @MMCSYR)
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Damage caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @MMCSYR)
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Damage caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @MMCSYR)
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Damage caused by strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @MMCSYR)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @davut1374)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @davut1374)
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One of the children injured in strikes on Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @zenhom75)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @zenhom75)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @zenhom75)
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Strikes in Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @zenhom75)
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Remnants of the shell used in the strikes on Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @syr_television)
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Smoke and destruction caused by shelling of Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @syr_television)
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Smoke and destruction caused by shelling of Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @syr_television)
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Smoke and destruction caused by shelling of Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @syr_television)
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Smoke and destruction caused by shelling of Afrin on July 25, 2021. (Image posted by @YusufAd76532779)
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"The site of the launcher from which the missiles that targeted the Civil Defense Center in Afrin were launched." Image posted by @yahya_kadaa)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention strikes in the vicinities of the Ma’arata roundabout (دوار المعرة), Rajo Road (طريق راجو), and Al Villat Street (شارع الفيلات) in the city of Afrin (دوار المعرة). The generic coordinates for the Ma’arata roundabout are: 36.507348, 36.861660. The generic coordinates for Rajo Road are: 36.516599, 36.857916. The generic coordinates for Al Villat Street are: 36.509316, 36.860241. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the locations further.