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

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

SDF00006

Incident date

August 29, 2023

Location

العزبة, Al Ezba, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

On August 29, 2023, several sources reported that an SDF bombardment of the Syrian city of Al-Ezba killed a child and injured numerous civilians, with most putting the number of injured between two and three.

There are no sources that mention death of belligerents, and all accounts that offer specifics beyond “civilians killed and injured” put the civilian death count at one, with all sources in agreement that the person killed was a child. @Sohebbb1990 specified that the child kill, a girl, was 13 years old.

However, there is some variation regarding details of the number of people injured. The most common figure, cited by the twitter account for Halab Today TV, Twitter user Sohebbb199, the Jabour Post, and the Shahed Post report that one girl was killed and two injured. All of those sources, except Halab TV, also state that the two injured were the sisters of the girl killed in the strike. Halab TV says that the two injured were her brothers.

Twitter user @DeirEzzor says that a girl was killed, and two children and a women injured.

Several other sources offer less specific statements, such as Twitter user @Mohab_Nasser2 “civilians dead and wounded, including women and children” and Twitter user @idleb_online who said a child was killed and “others injured”.

All sources attribute the bombing to the forces of the SDF, which some sources refer to as the PYD/PKK.

Several sources, including Ayman Abdullah Post and Twitter user @HamamIssa7, say that the bombing took place in the context of fighting between the SDF and the Military Council of Deir Ezzor.

Finally, both Twitter user @Sohebbb199 and the Jabour Post state that the casualties were “displaced from the Al-Bukamal area”.

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
    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
    YPG
  • Suspected target
    Tribal Forces

Sources (10) [ 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
    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
    YPG
  • Suspected target
    Tribal Forces

Sources (10) [ collapse]