Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

TS478

Incident date

November 9, 2021

Location

الهلالية, al-Hilaliya, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

37.051495, 41.198363 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least three civilian men, including a 70 year old man, were killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes on a vehicle in the al-Hilaliya neighborhood in the city of Qamishli on November 9, 2021.

The North Press Agency reported that three people were killed in a Turkish drone strike in the al-Hilaliya neighborhood in the city of Qamishli. Furat News Agency referred to the three people killed as being civilians.

According to the sources of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the person who was targeted in the explosion is a member of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ leadership’s advisory, but he was not in the targeted car at the time of the strikes. Instead, the explosion resulted in the death of his grandfather, his brother and a third of their relatives. At the time of reporting, they believed that the explosion could’ve been caused by a Turkish drone or an explosive device planted in the car.

Rudaw News also reported that the vehicle that was destroyed was an armored vehicle that belonged to the SDF and that the strike killed his brother Mazloum Gilo, and two of their relatives Yousef Gilo and Mohammed Gilo.

A tweet from @slmhktn refers to “PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) members” being in the car but does not specify who among the victims was a PKK member.

Images provided by local sources show a white SUV on fire in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the city of Qamishli, with residents and rescue teams trying to put out the fire. Tasrebat quoted a source that reported that ambulances transported the bodies of the victims, which were charred as a result of the fire, to the Khabat Military Hospital in the city.

Nalia Media Corporation added that the strike occurred at 3pm local time and that the drone belonged to Turkish forces.

The incident occured at approximately 3:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Yousef Gilo
70 years old male
Mazloum Gilo
male
Mohammed Gilo
male

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2–3 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (14) [ collapse]

  • Alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by North Press Agency)
  • Flames engulf a car following alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by Furat News Agency)
  • Alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by BasNews)
  • Crowds gather around a burning car, with the fires caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
  • Crowds gather around a burning car, with the fires caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @LaqsLaqs16)
  • Crowds gather around a burning car, with the fires caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @LaqsLaqs16)
  • Flames engulf a car following alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @LaqsLaqs16)
  • Flames engulf a car following alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @LaqsLaqs16)
  • Victims of the drone strike and resulting fire caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @wrongname46)
  • Damage to the vehicle from the drone strike and resulting fire caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a civilian car in Qamishli on November 9, 2021. (Image posted by @wrongname46)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a car struck in the Al Hilaliya (الهلالية) neighbourhood of the city of Qamishli (قامشلي). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 37.051495, 41.198363.

{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"Exact Location","label-type":"black-white"},"geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[41.198363,37.051495]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"A","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[41.198318749666214,37.05162905899679],[41.198286563158035,37.051554136141526],[41.1983697116375,37.0515295186158],[41.19841128587723,37.051601230516304],[41.198318749666214,37.05162905899679]]]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"B","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[41.198544055223465,37.05158303496589],[41.19843810796738,37.05146422861763],[41.19847565889358,37.051436400076724],[41.19858160614967,37.051564839411085],[41.198544055223465,37.05158303496589]]]}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"C","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[41.198181957006454,37.051351844062935],[41.19820475578308,37.05108747212096],[41.19841396808624,37.05109496445589],[41.198387145996094,37.051351844062935],[41.198181957006454,37.051351844062935]]]}}]}
  • Tagged visual material from sources.

    Imagery:
    @LaqsLaqs16

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2–3 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1969

Incident date

November 7, 2021

Location

جرابلس, Jarablus, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to three people were killed and three others were injured in alleged Coalition drone strikes in the city of Jarablus on November 7, 2021. Among the victims of the strikes, two of them were identified as being militants.

Shaam News reported that according to the “Media Office in the city of Jarablus”, an unidentified aircraft targeted a person on the outskirts of the city of Jarablus, adding that local sources suggested that the Coalition was responsible for the drone strike.

Macro Media Center identified the Coalition as being responsible, reporting that two people on a motorcycle were targeted by a drone and killed. However, Fact News reported that only one of the two people on the motorcycle were killed, and three other people were injured. Syrian Press Center gave the highest death toll, stating that three people were killed in the drone strikes.

A tweet from @IdlibCalling referred to those killed as being “militants of the Islamic State” and put the death toll at two, specifically naming field commander nicknamed Abu Abdo Al-Hamwi as among the victims while @sarihakann placed the man/men killed as belong to “Hurras al-Din” (Guardians of Religion). Baladi News reported that according to eyewitnesses, the person who was killed was wearing an explosive belt.

Fresh Syria specifically referred to the three people injured in the strikes as being civilians while the majority of sources referred to them only as “people”. The sources that mentioned militants killed or wounded only identified two of the victims as being militants, with one sources reporting that one militant was killed and one injured or that two militants were killed.

The location of the strikes was identified as being in a residential neighborhood in Jarablus, according to Fact News and Zaman Al Wasl added that the strikes occurred “near the Agricultural Bank, on the “Manbij-Jarabulus” road”.

The majority of sources identified the Coalition as being responsible for the drone strikes and Zaman Al Wasl reported that two missiles were launched from the drone. The Coalition has not yet commented on this incident. The only source that identified another possible culprit was Syria TV, which stated that one fo the possible explanations given by local sources was that the Syrian Democratic Forces could’ve bombed the city with rocket-propelled grenades, but did not provide details of which local sources provided this information.

The incident occured at approximately 5:30 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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
    US-led Coalition
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (33) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (13) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Aftermath of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Victim(s) of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • Location of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • Location of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • Victim(s) of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021 bring taken away by White Helmets. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • One of the victim(s) of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by @IdlibCalling)
  • The location of the alleged Coalition strikes on a deserted gas station in Jarablus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victim(s) of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)
  • One of the victim(s) of an alleged Coalition drone strike in the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)
  • White Helmets cover the body of one of the victims of strikes on the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by Jesr Press)
  • Debris from the strikes on the city of Jarabulus on November 7, 2021. (Image posted by @sarihakann)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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
    US-led Coalition
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (33) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS477 CS1967

Incident date

October 25, 2021

Location

العدوانية, Al Adwania, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.711861, 39.624167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (other) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four men were killed in Coalition airstrikes or shootings with the alleged assistance of Turkish forces in the village of Al Adwania on October 25, 2021. One of the men, Abu Hamza Al-Shuhail, was identified as an arms dealer while sources were conflicted as to whether the other men were civilians or militants.

The Euphrates Post reported that Turkish forces entered the village of Al Adwania and shot the young man Abdul Rahman Salem Al-Hammad, who died instantly from his gunshot wound. They also pointed out that Abdul had been armed and was killed instantly. Private sources contested that the forces that entered the area were Turkish, reporting that they “spoke English and not Turkish”, making it likely that the forces belonged to the Coalition.

According to Euphrates Post, this incident occurred shortly after an alleged Coalition drone killed Sabahi Al-Musleh “Abu Hamza Al-Shuhail”, identified as being a former arms dealer close to ISIS. A tweet from @DeirEzzorNow disputed this, stating that “Sabahi is not closely associated with the terrorist organization ISIS but the man was an old arms dealer… he joined the 20th Division – and sometimes he works as a smuggler towards Turkey.”

The Syrians for Truth and Justice released a report where they identified Abu Hamza as being a “a famous arms dealer in the region” who “supplied and sold massive quantities of various types of firearms to several parties in the Syrian conflict, chiefly IS”. Al-Shuhail worked with the factions of the former Free Syrian Army (FSA), Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front)/Qaeda, and later with both IS and the SDF. He rented the farmhouse in al-Adwaniya—which is under the military control of SNA-affiliated 20th Division—and made it a headquarters for administrating his business, which included people smuggling “in coordination with SNA commanders”.

Additionally, two other people were killed by “unknown fire” when they rode a motorcycle to inspect the location of the drone strike, identified as being Sami Khalil Al-Khuzam, an electrician who worked in an agricultural vehicle repair shop from the village of Al-Marayeh in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, and Nawaf Khalaf Al-Hawas, a shepherd from the village of Al-Tabiya. Orient News attributed the death of Sami and Nawaf to the Turkish forces that entered the area following the airstrikes.

Eye of Euphrates referred to “at least three” people killed in addition to Abu Hamza Al-Shuhail as being his “companions” but did not specifically identify if they were militants or civilians and their reporting also seems to indicate that the drone strike killed all four victims. However, a tweet from @DeirEzzorNow specifically identifies Abu Hamza Al-Shuhail, Abdul, and Nawaf as all being from Deir Ezzor and as all being members of the 20th National Army Division (they did not mention Sami Khalil).

The report by the Syrians for Truth and Justice identified the location as being a newly constructed farm adjacent to the Syria-Turkey border in al-Adwaniya village. Following the drone strike that killed Abu Hamza, Turkish ground troops came from Turkey and encircled the area, exchanging fire and killing a gunman in the farmhouse named Abdulrahman Salem al-Hammad, who “used to work with al-Shuhail and visited the farmhouse frequently”. In addition, two other civilians “arrived in the target area about an hour and a half after the assassination operation started” and were killed. Sami al-Khuzami died when he was shot in the chest, and Nawaf al-Khalaf died when he was shot in the head, possibly by sniper fire due to the location. Both were “killed on the main street leading to the farm, about 150 meters away from the farmhouse”. Overall, the incident resulted in the death of three civilians “who maintained no relations with the arms dealer”.

On November 27th 2021, the UK government announced that they had conducted strikes in this location without giving details about who was killed: “The crew of a remotely piloted Reaper, armed with Hellfire missiles, tracked a known terrorist in northern Syria, near the city of Ras al Ayn, and at a safe moment, when the individual was alone in a field, carried out a successful attack.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdul Rahman Salem Al-Hammad
Adult male killed
Sami Khalil Al-Khuzam
Adult male killed
Nawaf Khalaf Al-Hawas
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground), Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, US-led Coalition
  • Known targets
    Assad regime, ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–3

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • Sabahi Al-Musleh "Abu Hamza Al-Shuhail", an alleged arms dealer killed in strikes on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by @DeirEzzorNow)
  • Sami al-Khuzami , killed in Al Adwania on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • Nawaf al-Khalaf, killed in Al Adwania on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • One of the men killed in strikes or a shooting in Al Adwania on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)
  • Two photos taken at different intervals of the farmhouse built sometime in 2021, and where al-Shuhail was killed. The farmhouse is adjacent to Syria-Turkey borders and is farmed in red. Credits: Planet Labs Inc.
  • Satellite image taken by Planet Labs Inc. 7 November 2021. The photo locates the farmhouse—the black square—where al-Shuhail was killed, compared to the location of the Turkish base—the red square—from where the ground forces raided the farmhouse. Additionally, the photo shows the border wall between Syria and Turkey. Credit: Planet Labs Inc.
  • Footage from the video, showing the farmhouse, in the black square. Credit: STJ.
  • Satellite image linked with the live footage from the video. Credit: Planet Labs Inc.
  • Satellite image linked with the live footage from the video. Credit: Planet Labs Inc.
  • Footage from the video. Credit: STJ.
  • Footage circulated on social media of what is believed al-Shuhail’s body parts and the location where the drone hit.
  • The footage from social media linked with satellite images. Credit: Planet Labs Inc.
  • Footage circulated on social media of what is believed to be al-Shuhail’s body parts and the location where the drone hit.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of victim Nawaf al-Khalaf, shot in the forehead by alleged Turkish forces on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrians for Truth and Justice)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of victim Sami al-Khuzami, who was targeted just in the heart by alleged Turkish forces on October 25, 2021. (Image posted by Syrians for Truth and Justice)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the strike mention the village of Al Adwania (العدوانية). According to research conducted by Syrians for Truth and Justice, the exact coordinates for this strike are: 36.711861, 39.624167. Cross referencing source material, we can confirm the accuracy of this location.  

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The crew of a remotely piloted Reaper, armed with Hellfire missiles, tracked a known terrorist in northern Syria, near the city of Ras al Ayn, and at a safe moment, when the individual was alone in a field, carried out a successful attack.

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Monday 25 October – An RAF Reaper killed a Daesh terrorist in northern Syria. Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to fly missions over Iraq and Syria in support of the global coalition against the Daesh terrorist movement. On Monday 25 October, the crew of a remotely piloted Reaper, armed with Hellfire missiles, tracked a known terrorist in northern Syria, near the city of Ras al Ayn, and at a safe moment, when the individual was alone in a field, carried out a successful strike.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground), Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1–3 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, US-led Coalition
  • Known targets
    Assad regime, ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–3

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS476

Incident date

October 20, 2021

Location

كوباني‎, Kobani, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two people were killed and three others were injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Kobani on a vehicle on October 20, 2021. Sources were conflicted as to whether the people killed were civilians or militants while the three injured were reported to be civilians.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a Turkish drone struck a car of civilians in Kobani, killing one of the “cadres” and his driver, in addition to injuring others, with one of them in serious condition.

Hawar News Agency reported that three civilians were injured in the drone strikes, which occurred at 15:30, and the injured were taken to Kobani hospitals for treatment. They provided the names of those injured: “the child Ali Shukri Lutfi Muhammad, aged 16, Bakr Jarada, the 49-year-old co-chair of the Justice Commission in the Euphrates region, and Ali Rashad Mistou, 19.”

Local sources told BasNews that the vehicle that was targeted by the Turkish drone was a “civilian car carrying a Kurdistan Workers’ Party official near the Amal Hospital in Kobani, which resulted in deaths and injuries”. However, they did not specify whether those killed or injured were civilians, adding that “these sources did not reveal the identify of the official or the number of dead and wounded”.

Aramme News identified the two people killed as being leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and that the SDF imposed a security cordon on the scene following the incident. However, the correspondent for Ahdath Alyoum News reported that two administrative workers were killed alongside Bakr Jarada, who was injured.

Images listed by BasNews and Hawar News Agency show at least two different vehicles that sustained damage in the drone strikes.

All of the sources that reported on the incident pointed to Turkish drones as being responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ali Shukri Lutfi Muhammad
16 years old male injured
Bakr Jarada
49 years old male co-chair of the Justice Commission in the Euphrates region injured
Ali Rashad Mistou
19 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • Damage to cars from drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • One of the victims of alleged Turkish drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • One of the victims of alleged Turkish drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • One of the victims of alleged Turkish drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • Damage to cars from drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • Damage to cars from drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • Damage to cars from drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • One of the cars damaged in drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • One of the cars damaged in drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)
  • Two of the cars damaged in drone strikes on Kobani on October 20, 2021. (Image posted by Hawar News Agency)

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI074

Incident date

October 9, 2021

Location

سيدان, Sidan, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

35.58366, 44.72131 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and two people, including a woman, were killed and two civilians were injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Saydani village on October 9, 2021. The majority of sources refer to all of the casualties from the incident as civilians except BasNews, which identified two Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) fighters as being killed.

Rudaw News reported that a woman was killed and two others were wounded in Turkish drone strikes. The person killed had not yet been identified because “the body is mangled and therefore we can’t determine the age of the deceased,” Sharif Rahim, spokesperson for Chamchamal’s health directorate, told Rudaw, adding that “the wounded are between 25 and 35 years of age.”

According to BasNews, two Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) fighters were killed in the drone strike, which struck a car. BasNews was the only source that identified PKK fighters as being involved and not civilians. Hawar News specifically referred to a “civilian car” being hit by the airstrikes and identified those injured as being civilians.

Xeber24 News added that the two injured civilians were transferred to Chamchamal Hospital, the body of the woman who was killed was taken to forensic medicine in Sulaymaniyah.

The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan issued a statement to public opinion, which stated: “The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan condemns the bombing by Turkish planes of the Qaranjir border near the city of Kirkuk, which left casualties and damages.”

All of the sources attributed the strikes to Turkish drones or reported that they “believed” Turkey was responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • 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
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sidan (سيدان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.58366, 44.72131. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • 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
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM344

Incident date

October 7, 2021

Location

Garbahaarey, Gedo, Somalia

Geolocation

3.329517, 42.219786 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unknown number of casualties among militants resulted from alleged Somalia forces with the assistance of US airstrikes/drone strikes on October 7, 2021.

Harun Maruf a journalist with Voice of America reported that the Somali military in collaboration with international security partners carried out airstrikes on four militant camps, destroying them. At the time there was no comment from @USAfricaCommand on the strikes.

Garowe Online added that there were casualties among militants without giving specific numbers. The other sources that reported on the strikes did not mention casualties.

Evelyn Tremble tweeted that “strikes most likely carried out by #USA military drones deployed in the region”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Somali Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention camps being struck in the vicinity of Garbahaarrey (غاربهاارآي) town. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Garbahaarrey are: 3.329517, 42.219786.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Somali Military Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Somali Military Forces
  • Somali Military Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Somali Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI073

Incident date

October 4, 2021

Location

سيدان, Sidan, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

35.58366, 44.72131 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two to three people, including a woman, were injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on the village of Saydani on October 4, 2021. Local sources were conflicted as to whether those injured were civilians or members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

According to Rudaw News, a 24-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man were injured in a Turkish drone strike on Saydani village. Sharif Rahim, the spokesperson for Chamchamal health directorate, told Rudaw “the injury to the man is serious.”

The head of Chemchemal’s health directorate, Sharif Raheem Moawen, told Shafaq News Agency, “two civilians from Sidan village, the Chemchemal district, were injured: a 24 years old male and a 33 years old male.”

@AnwarKazhin said the strike took place on the outskirts of Shwan sub-district.

ANF News said the incident occurred at 5:50 p.m. The source said it “believed” a Turkish drone had carried out the strike but “Iranian regime forces could also be responsible”.

Hawar News reported that the drone strike struck a car while Kurdistan 24 referred to the location as being an alleged Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) outpost, adding that “Two injured people were transferred to the emergency hospital in Chamchamal,” Chamchamal health directorate spokesman Sharif Rahim told Kurdistan 24. It was not immediately clear if the victims were PKK members or civilians.”

Said Karim, a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official in Qarahanjir, told BasNews that “As a result of this bombardment, three fighters of PKK have been injured who have now been transferred to Chamchamall hospital for medical treatment.”

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to Turkey.

The incident occured at approximately 5:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–3

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sidan (سيدان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.58366, 44.72131. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–3

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI069

Incident date

September 2, 2021

Location

بارة, Bara, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.37571, 41.48531 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least three people were injured in alleged Turkish strikes on Bara village on September 2, 2021.

Security sources told Shafaq News Agency that “Turkish aircraft bombed the headquarters of the Asayish Yazidkhan forces, west of Mount Sinjar” and that the targeted location was close to a site of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). However, another security source told Shafaq News agency that three civilians were seriously injured in the attack.

Alyaum TV quoted a local source as saying that Turkish warplanes bombed different areas in Sinjar district, injuring three people.

BasNews also reported that Turkish warplanes targeted a facility and vehicle belonging to the PKK-affiliated armed groups but did not know the number of injuries that resulted.

Several local media sites also told Xeber24 that a Turkish drone bombed one of the points of the Asayish Ezidkhan in the village of Bariya, affiliated to the city of Şengal but as a result of the intensity of the bombing and the flight of Turkish aircraft, they were unable to know the extent of human losses and material damage.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to Turkey.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bara (بارة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.37571, 41.48531. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (4) [ collapse]