Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

YS128

Incident date

March 23, 2022

Location

اعزاز, A'zaaz, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.581669, 37.050417 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one male civilian was killed and up to nine others were injured, including a child and a woman, in alleged Syrian Democratic Forces’ shelling of the city of A’zaaz on March 23, 2022.

Euphrates Post reported that Syrian Defense Forces shelled the city of A’zaaz with more than 15 rockets, which resulted in the killing of the civilian Ahmed al-Khalaf and the injury of seven other people, including a child. Sources added that “the rockets landed near the Al-Dalla roundabout in the city of Azaz, in a densely populated area, and in the vicinity of the Azaz Security Directorate.”

@DeirEzzorNow identified one civilian as being killed, adding that six other civilians were injured, including a child and an elderly man. @DeirEzzorNow also provided the names of the civilians injured: Muhammed Ural, Muhammad Khalaf, Ahmed Hajola bin Hassan, Zakaria Halabiya, Nawaf Al-Kadour.

Macro Media Center added that a woman was also in critical condition from the shelling. A tweet from @SYRMMC put the injury count at four while Azzaz media centre posted on Facebook that nine people were injured.

Ramadan Abu Nayef, 60 years old, recounts the moments when his house was subjected to artillery shelling: “We were 8 people in the house, we were having lunch, we heard the sound of the shells coming down the lane immediately and we were distributed in the rooms, but suddenly there was a very strong sound, and dust filled the place, the targeting was inside our house and a few meters away from one of my children, but thank God no one was injured, and we survived Miraculously, from death, when this crime does not continue, we have the right to live in safety, without bombing and without fear.”

@ShahbaPress identified “Katyusha rockets” as being used during the attack. Syrian Network for Human Rights added that the shells hit residential buildings in the city and “the bombing caused severe damage in the areas that were hit.” In addition, Enab Baladi News mentioned that public facilities were also subject to artillery shelling.

The majority of sources attributed the strikes to the Syrian Democratic Forces while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “rockets have been fired from areas controlled by the Regime and Kurdish forces”.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed al-Khalaf أحمد نواف الخلف
Age unknown male killed
Muhammed Ural محمد اورال
Age unknown injured
Muhammad Khalaf محمد خلف
Age unknown injured
Ahmed Hajola bin Hassan احمد حاجولة بن حسن
Age unknown injured
Zakaria Halabiya زكريا حلبية
Age unknown injured
Nawaf Al-Kadour نواف الكدور
Age unknown injured

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Al-Dalla roundabout (دوار الدلة), within the city of A’zaaz (اعزاز), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.581669, 37.050417. Analysing audio-visual material from sources we have located one image in the area of Al-Dalla roundabout at the coordinates: 36.579069, 37.045456. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"Al-Dalla roundabout","label-type":"black-white","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1},"geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[37.050417,36.581669]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"A","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[37.046416103839874,36.57894349583355],[37.046815752983086,36.57894349583355],[37.046815752983086,36.57936566139965],[37.046416103839874,36.57936566139965],[37.046416103839874,36.57894349583355]]]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"B","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[37.04568386077881,36.5790167288013],[37.046021819114685,36.5790167288013],[37.046021819114685,36.57933766069379],[37.04568386077881,36.57933766069379],[37.04568386077881,36.5790167288013]]]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"C","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[37.04538345336914,36.579014574891474],[37.045675814151764,36.579014574891474],[37.045675814151764,36.57935273799822],[37.04538345336914,36.57935273799822],[37.04538345336914,36.579014574891474]]]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"Source Image Location","label-type":"black-white","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1},"geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[37.045456,36.579069]}}]}
  • Tagged audio-visual material from sources. Imagery: Azazz Media Office

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–9
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces

Sources (47) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (31) [ collapse]

  • The first moments of the response of our teams to artillery shelling on residential neighborhoods in the city of #Azaz came from areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the regime forces north of #Aleppo, today, Wednesday, March 23, which led to the death of a civilian and the injury of 6 others.
  • A martyr was killed and a number of civilians were wounded, including a woman in a critical condition, as a result of a missile shelling by the Qasd militia on the city of Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians killed and injured in alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • Names of the alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • Rescue crews respond after alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefense)
  • Rescue crews respond after alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefense)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefense)
  • Rescue crews respond after alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefense)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Azzaz media centre)
  • Hospital where injured civilians were taken after alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Azzaz media centre)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilian injured in alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by@soryhar_5)
  • Smoke and dust from alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @ahmads2021)
  • Smoke and dust from alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by @ahmads2021)
  • Man injured in alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Omar Al Tallawi via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Man injured in alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Omar Al Tallawi via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians injured in alleged SDF strikes on A'zaaz on March 23, 2022. (Image posted by Radwan Mohammed al Shahwan via Facebook)

Syrian Democratic Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Syrian Democratic Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–9
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces

Sources (47) [ collapse]