Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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]

Incident Code

SDF00026

Incident date

September 4, 2023

Location

ذيبان, Dhiban, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

A man, Ahmed Hamid al-Helu, was killed in the town of Dhiban on September 4th, 2023 as a result of an alleged SDF bomb dropped from a drone.

Local source (@AlfratNda) stated that al-Helu was a resident of the town, and that the bomb had been dropped by an SDF-operated drone. This was corroborated by several other reporters (@Sharqya_reporte; @Rian_almasri; @Almohrar1).

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed Hamid al-Helu أحمد حميد محمد الحلو
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

YPG Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00025

Incident date

September 4, 2023

Location

قرية المحيسن شمال شرقي عين عيسى القريبة ع طريق, the village of Al-Muhaisen, northeast of Ain Issa, near the M4 road, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

A young man, Abdulaziz al-Mashouj, was killed on the night of September 4th, 2023, near the M4 road in the village of Al-Muhaisen in the Deir Ezzor eastern countryside; at least two others were reported injured. Several reports have alleged that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were responsible.

Local sources (@saad_alsabr; @fouratalwfaa) named the young man, and stated that his father had also been wounded, along with a neighbor. Both claimed the casualties were sustained due to bombings. However, another local source (@Ahmad_1alshble) alleged the casualties were caused by artillery shelling perpetrated by the SDF. Dery News corroborated this statement.

All of the sources attributed the attack to the SDF and associated militias, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Democratic Union Party (PYK).

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abdulaziz al-Mashouj عبد العزيز المسهوج
Age unknown male killed
father of Abdulaziz al-Mashouj
male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Abdulaziz Al-Mashouj, a young man killed by alleged SDF shelling of the village of Al-Muhaisen on September 4, 2023. (Image posted by @fouratalwfaa)
  • Abdulaziz Al-Mashouj, a young man killed by alleged SDF shelling of the village of Al-Muhaisen on September 4, 2023. (Image posted by @Ahmad_1alshble)
  • Abdulaziz Al-Mashouj, a young man killed by alleged SDF shelling of the village of Al-Muhaisen on September 4, 2023. (Image posted by Rasd News)
  • The effects of the destruction caused by the bombing of the PKK/PYD militia on the village of Salihiya, west of Tal Abyad, which resulted in a civilian martyr and a number of wounded.

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
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00024

Incident date

September 4, 2023

Location

مدينة قباسين, Qabasin, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On 4 September 2023, at least two civilians were injured by a missile attack in the city of Qabasin. Sources attribute the incident to the Syrian regime forces and/or the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The shelling bombardment in this area resulted in many displacements of families in the city of Qabasin.

The Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) reported that this missile bombardment came from areas under control of the regime forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, and resulted in the injury of a child and a man. Additionally, the SCD referred to the injuries sustained by the child as “serious” and they mobilized a team to treat the injured and evacuated a family from the city to the home of relatives in Al-Bab city.

A post from Qabasin on Facebook reported that in addition to the serious injury of the child, two women and two men sustained light injuries in the attack.

A series of tweets also reported the civilian casualties by the missile strike such as from @anasanas84 that includes photographic records of the incident while also referring to the SDF as responsible for the attacks.

Images posted by Omar Al-Nakdali reportedly show the munitions used in the attack, referred to as coming from a “rocket launcher”.

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
    2–5
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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    Witness the crimes of Qandil gangs and its Syrian wing #SDF against our innocent civilians in #Qabasin. Barbaric missile bombardment by gangs of terrorism, devastation and destruction #SDF targeting civilian homes in the city of #Qabasi

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injuries as a result of the missile strike that targeted the town of #Qabasin

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 harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4554

Incident date

September 4, 2023

Location

أرض زراعية على أطراف مدينة سرمين شرقي إدلب, agricultural land on the outskirts of the city of Sarmin, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On September 4th 2023, one civilian was killed and another was severely injured in the city of Sarmin by intensive missile and artillery shelling allegedly by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian forces.

According to Syrian Civil Defense, a civilian named Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed, a 12-year old, was killed and her sister Nada Al-Muhaimeed, a 8-year old, sustained various injuries after the intense missile and artillery bombardment, striking the tent they were inhabiting with their family in the agricultural land on the outskirts of Sarmin. Additionally, the Civil Defense team transferred the body of the child and of the injured sister from Sarmin Hospital to Idlib City Hospital and inspected the place of the bombing and secured it.

As mentioned by correspondent Al-Arabiya/ Al-Hadath in Syria, the Syrian regime struck a tent on the outskirts of the city of Sarmin, in the countryside. This is also supported by the statement of the Syrian Network for Human Rights in which it reports that one of the missiles landed next to the tent in which Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed lived, causing her death and the injury of her sister Nada Al-Muhaimeed. Multiple local sources mentioned that both of the children were displaced from the town of Afes the day before the bombing due to heavy bombardment in Afes.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the shelling, with some sources attributing the bombardment to the Syrian regime while others blamed the Russian military, with multiple sources mentioning the use of heavy weapons in the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Fadda Ibrahim Al-Muhaimeed فضة ابراهيم المحيميد
12 years old female killed
Nada Ibrahim al-Muhaimeed ندى إبراهيم المحيميد
8 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture, IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @alking14399969

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD
  • Source: SCD

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: SCD
  • Image of Fadda al-Muhaimeed, 12 years old, killed on September 4, 2023. Source: @Omar_Madaniah

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Eliass_Ahmed97

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @khaled_mosle

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @TvIdlib

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    Source: @TvIdlib

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    Source: @SN4HR

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Alarabiya news

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    Source: Ahmad

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military 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
    Agriculture, IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00022

Incident date

September 3, 2023

Location

تل الهوى بالقرب من الراعي شرقي حلب, Tal al-Hawa near al-Rai, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

A young boy was injured in missile strikes coming from areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian regime in the village of Tal al-Hawa, east of Aleppo, on the morning of September 3rd, 2023.

The Syrian Civil Defense alleged that the strikes came from the “joint control areas” of the regime and the SDF. The boy was taken to the hospital by other civilians, before Civil Defense teams inspected the area for other injured persons.

Enab Baladi News corroborated that the missile bombardment came from areas under joint control, as did Shaam News. Radio Fresh Syria, however, points solely to the SDF as the perpetrator.

The incident occured in the morning.

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
    YPG, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers inspect the site of alleged SDF/Syrian regime missile strikes in the village of Tal al-Hawa on September 3, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)

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 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
    YPG, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00021

Incident date

September 3, 2023

Location

city of Al-Basira, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

A young man, Ahmed al-Attiyah, was killed and others injured by shells in an attack allegedly perpetrated by the SDF during the early morning of September 3rd, 2023 in the city of Al-Basira, in the Deir Ezzor eastern countryside. Sources are conflicted as to whether Ahmed was a civilian or a militant with the tribal clans.

Naher Media identified the young man, and claimed he had been killed while the SDF “stormed” Al-Basira. Although the identities of other civilians are not known, local reporters (@Sharqya-reporte; @Aboody_hat) claimed the attack wounded several.

Al-Khabour correspondent (@alkhabour21) alleged the injuries stemmed from an explosive shell thrown from a drone and that al-Attiyah and one other had been on the banks of the Euphrates River when the attack occurred.

Local source (@alsuory0) alleged the SDF perpetrated a missile attack that struck a building which al-Attiyah had been helping to fortify. The building is said to be located in the Hawija region. A second local source alleged al-Attiya was a fighter with the tribal clans, though this claim has not been repeated elsewhere.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Ahmed Al-Attiyah, killed by an alleged SDF attack in the city of Al-Basira on September 3, 2023. (Image posted by @nahermedia)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of Ahmed Al-Attiyah, killed by an alleged SDF attack in the city of Al-Basira on September 3, 2023. (Image posted by @Sharqya_reporte)
  • Ahmed Al-Attiyah, killed by an alleged SDF attack in the city of Al-Basira on September 3, 2023. (Image posted by Al Akidat official via Facebook)

YPG Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

SDF00020

Incident date

September 2, 2023

Location

مدينة هجين, city of Hajin, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

On September 2nd 2023, several sources reported that the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) had carried out an alleged ‘bombardment’ of the city of Hajin, east of Deir Ezzor in Syria. At least two civilians, a woman and her child were killed during the incident, and up to 14 civilians were injured. All sources agree that the injured civilians were mostly or all women and children.

Nahr Media reported that the SDF carried out the alleged bombardment whilst stationed in the Al-Majanda area, on the bank of the Euphrates River. Most sources do not specify the type of weapon that was used during the incident, describing the alleged attack as a ‘bombardment’ and/or ‘bombing’. However, @DeirEzzor24, @DeryNews and @Dadyodelal allege that the SDF used a missile/missiles to attack the city of Hajin on September 2nd 2023.

Most sources agree that a woman and her child were killed during the alleged ‘bombardment’ of the Al-Islah area in the city of Hajin. @ralshhwan9 provided the names of the two civilians killed during the incident: Salma Ismail Al-Lahna, twenty-six years old, killed, female; Fatima Al-Saleh Al-Munif, five years old, killed, female.

@DeirEzzore and @monayadskaif have also reported that another child of the Abab Al-Munif family, who is not named but identified as the brother of Fatima Al-Munif (9 years old), was injured during the incident and had his leg amputated. @DeirEzzore added that two other relatives were also injured.

Most sources agree that fourteen civilians were injured during the incident. @DeirEzzore, @NorsForStudies and @moayadskaif report that of those injured, seven were children and five were women. However, some local sources provided injury numbers as low as four, but it is unclear whether these are referring to a specific incident within the escalation in Hajin or are early casualty numbers.

Following the incident, an unspecified number of the injured civilians have received medical treatment at the Hajin General Hospital, with @syrrev1 reporting that the hospital has announced a need for O+ and A+ blood groups to come forward and give blood donations.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Salma Ismail Al-Lahna
26 years old female killed
Fatima Al-Saleh Al-Munif
5 years old female killed
brother of Fatima Al-Munif
9 years old male injured
Relative of Al-Munif family
injured
Relative of Al-Munif family
injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–14
  • 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 (32) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child injured following a bombardment carried out by the Syrian Defence Force in the city of Hajin, Syria (Image posted by @Derynews via Twitter, on September 2nd, 2023)
  • Alleged SDF bombardment of the city of Haji on September 2, 2023. (Image posted by Furat News via Facebook)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    #Deer Al Zour Scenes documenting the wounded who were injured in the bombing of the SDF militia on the town of #Hajin, east of Deir ez-Zor, in addition to the death of a mother and her daughter in the bombing of the town.

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
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–14
  • 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 (32) [ collapse]