Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4556

Incident date

September 19, 2023

Location

الفطيرة, Al Fatira, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least two farmers were injured during the afternoon of September 19, 2023, by an artillery strike allegedly from the Syrian regime and/or Russian forces in the town of Al-Fatira, in the south of Idlib. The @SyriaCivilDefe reported the farmers were injured while picking figs and received treatment in a hospital in the city of Idlib.

According to a correspondent from the Baladi News, the farmers were injured to varying degrees of seriousness from artillery shelling, reportedly from the Syrian Regime and the militias supporting it. However, @VedengAgency1 and @ralshhwan9 attributed the shelling to Russian forces, who reportedly launched more than 30 rockets and artillery shells at the town of Al-Fatira.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4555

Incident date

September 13, 2023

Location

آفس, Afes, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A woman was left injured in Afes, Idlib by artillery shelling allegedly fired by the Syrian regime and/or Russian military on September 13, 2023.

The woman had fainted after being struck by shrapnel, according to Shaam News — who labeled the Syrian regime as the perpetrator. Some other sources, including Al Mohrar, said the shelling came from the Russian military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00033

Incident date

September 8, 2023

Location

عرب ويران, the village of Arab Wiran, east of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Friday, September 8, 2023, a civilian was injured as a result of artillery shelling of the village of Arab Wiran, east of Aleppo, allegedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or SDF militia.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported that the shelling came from areas under the joint control of the regime forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Civil Defense team inspected the places affected by the bombing to check the conditions of civilians and tweeted the image showing the aftermath of the attack.

According to Orient news’s correspondent Muhannad Al-Ali, the artillery shelling was carried out by Syrian regime forces, while Shaam news alleged that it was perpertrated by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Since the sources identified different belligerents as being responsible for the strike, Airwars has classified both Strike Status and Civilian Harm Status as Contested.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    YPG

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    YPG

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00032

Incident date

September 7, 2023

Location

قرية المحسنلي بريف منبج, village of Al-Mohsenli, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On 7th September 2023, one civilian was killed and up to five others were injured by a reported missile strike by the Syrian Democratic Forces in the village of Al-Mohsenli in the Manbij countryside.

An initial Twitter post of the event, from user @Step_agency, identified four civilian injuries from the strike. Simultaneously, a tweet from @RadioAlKul reported one civilian death and one civilian injury.

However as further details have emerged it has been widely reported by a series of tweets and Facebook posts, including a tweet from @HalabTodayTV and a post by Syrtelevision, that one civilian was killed and five others were injured from the missile strike.

All reporting on the incident indicates that the Syrian Democratic Forces were responsible for the missile strike with no further details on the civilians harmed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–5
  • 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 attacker
    YPG

Sources (15) [ collapse]

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–5
  • 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 attacker
    YPG

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00031

Incident date

September 7, 2023

Location

مخيم برشايا قرب بلدة قباسين, Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On 7 September 2023, a male civilian was reportedly killed and at least one civilian, a child, was injured by artillery shelling from areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime in the Barshaya camp for displaced people located near the town of Qabasin.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, 36 year-old Abdul Sattar Muhammad al-Issa was killed by the shelling and his body was taken to Al-Bab City Hospital. Simultaneously, a news report from the Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) identified the young child to be the nephew of the young man who was killed, who was given medical treatment at the scene by civilians.

A series of tweets from the local area identify the injured child to be the son of Abdul Sattar Muhammad al-Issa. This includes a tweet from @qipqa identifying the child’s name as Karmo while Qasioun News provided the name of the child as Abdul Sattar. However, news reports from the following day, 8 September, from Rasd Syria identified the child to be the nephew of Abdul. According to @HalabTodayTV, “several civilians” were injured by the shelling.

The incident is part of major destruction to the displacement camp from artillery shelling, with @SN4HR named the camp as “Haso camp.”

The majority of sources referred to the shelling as coming from areas controlled by the SDF and the Syrian regime. However, sources such as @OrientNews directly attributed the civilian casualties to the SDF.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abdul Sattar Muhammad al-Issa
36 years old male killed
Abdul Sattar Karmo
Child male Son or nephew of Abdul Sattar Muhammad al-Issa injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    YPG, Syrian Regime

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Blood from victims of alleged SDF shelling of Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin on September 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage from alleged SDF shelling of Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin on September 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage from alleged SDF shelling of Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin on September 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage from alleged SDF shelling of Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin on September 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • 36 year-old Abdul Sattar Muhammad al-Issa, killed by alleged SDF shelling of Barshaya camp near the town of Qabasin on September 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SN4HR)

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    YPG, Syrian Regime

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS628

Incident date

September 6, 2023

Location

قرية طحمة, Tahna village, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Three children were injured by alleged Turkish shelling of Tahna village on September 6, 2023. At the time of reporting, all three children were in the intensive care unit in serious condition.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that three children from the same family were seriously injury by Turkish shelling of Tahna village and were taken to Al-Barkal hospital in Manbij city for treatment.

ANF reported the names of the children injured according to hospital records: Weam Al-Jassem (15 years old), Ibrahim Al-Jassem (12 years old), and Jalal Al-Jassem (14 years old).

The administrator and assistant surgeon at Al-Barkal Hospital, Ahmed Al-Ali, told ANF that two of the children’s were opened because of the presence of shrapnel, and two of the children had their spleens removed. He also said The first child, Weam Al-Jassem, has an injury to the kidney and stomach and had his spleen removed. The other child, Jalal Al-Jassem, has the same injuries, but his kidney is more damaged. There is a possibility that we will remove it within the next 24 hours, but now we are waiting in the hope that it will return to work and if it stops completely. The third child, Ibrahim Al-Jassem, was subjected to a chest explosion due to a bad wind.”

News of north and east of Syria posted on Facebook that the medical staff treating the children said “We are making efforts to save their lives.”

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Weam Al-Jassem وئام الجاسم
15 years old injured
Ibrahim Al-Jassem إبراهيم الجاسم
12 years old injured
Jalal Al-Jassem جلال الجاسم
14 years old injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Children being treated for serious injuries following alleged Turkish shelling of the village of Tahna on September 6, 2023. (Image posted by Hawar News)

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00030

Incident date

September 6, 2023

Location

الطيانة, residential neighborhoods in the town of Al Tayana, east of Deir Ezzor, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at least one man named Abu Adham was injured by the mortar shelling of residential neignorhoods in the town of Al Tayana, east of Deir Ezzor, allegedly perpetrated by SDF or PYD militia. As reported by Al-Khabour correspondent, the injured man was displaced from the city of Al-Mayadeen.

Most local sources, including Deir Ezzor Radyo, mentioned that shelling resulted in the injuries of civilians. Abomosaab Sharkea media emphasized that there were not killed civialians, only wounded ones.

Where sources identified the belligerent, most of the sources attributed the strike to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia. According to the Facebook post by Alhadath, the shelling was carried out by SDF militias stationed on the outskirts of the town of Dhiban. Al-Khabour media and Twitter/X user @Aboody_hat indicated that shelling came from PYD/PKK militia, but both belligerents are a part of Kurdish militia.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abu Adham أبو أدهم
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 attacker
    YPG

Sources (11) [ collapse]

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 attacker
    YPG

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00027

Incident date

September 5, 2023

Location

المعابر النهرية في بلدتي ذي والحوايج, River crossings in the towns of Dhiban and Hawaij, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

A number of civilians were reportedly killed and injured while escaping from bombings in the towns of Dhiban and Hawaij, in the eastern countryside near Deir Ezzor, when nearby river crossings, that are used as humanitarian corridors, were allegedly struck by mortar shells on Tuesday, September 5th 2023.

All available sources claimed that the Syrian Democratic Forces carried out the shelling and Jesr Press added that the tribal forces were able to repel the attack. No sources reported how many civilians were killed or injured.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Humanitarian evacuation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 attacker
    YPG
  • Suspected target
    Tribal Forces

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mortar fire near the river crossings in the towns of Dhiban and Hawaij on September 5, 2023. (Image posted by @nahermedia)

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Humanitarian evacuation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 attacker
    YPG
  • Suspected target
    Tribal Forces

Sources (7) [ collapse]