While the conflict in Libya continued to rage on, the number of strikes decreased significantly as the Government of National Accord (GNA), with Turkish support, continued to consolidate its gains from the previous month against the Libyan National Army (LNA) and its foreign allies. A stalemate at the frontline in Sirte led to almost complete inaction between the two sides. However, foreign actors reportedly used the impasse to funnel more <\/span>weapons<\/span><\/a> into Libya.<\/span><\/p>\n As the chart below shows, the number of civilian harm incidents decreased during June across all major conflicts tracked by Airwars apart from Iraq (due to Turkey\u2019s Operation Tiger Claw against the PKK.) The number of reported civilian harm incidents in Libya decreased by almost 75%.<\/span><\/p>\n June marked the first month in Libya where the GNA and Turkey allegedly caused more civilian harm than the LNA and its allies. While the number of tracked air and artillery strikes dropped significantly from 274 to 94, locally reported civilian deaths only decreased from 64-81 to 44-54.<\/span><\/p>\n The GNA and Turkey allegedly conducted 25 air and artillery strikes leading to between 24 and 32 civilian deaths in a <\/span>successful effort to regain territory<\/span><\/a> from the LNA. In the worst event of the month, between 12 and 20 civilians were killed by a GNA or Turkish <\/span>drone strike<\/span><\/a> on Qasr Bin Gashir on June 3rd.<\/span><\/p>\n Civilian harm reported from LNA and Emirati strikes significantly decreased compared to previous months, as the GNA finally managed to oust Khalifa Haftar\u2019s forces from Tripoli. The siege of Libya\u2019s capital <\/span>officially ended<\/span><\/a> on 4th June after more than 400 days. Between 16 and 17 civilian deaths were alleged from 59 LNA and Emirati actions in June. The most severe <\/span>incident<\/span><\/a> took place in Gheryan on June 2nd, when five civilian males were reportedly killed by a drone strike.<\/span><\/p>\n Another six strikes by unknown belligerents allegedly led to a further four to five civilian deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n The vast majority of these strikes were conducted at the beginning of June, with only seven reported towards the end of the month. Military activity had effectively stalled due to a stalemate at the Sirte frontline, where both sides were sending in reinforcements. AFRICOM also once again overtly called out Russia for supplying the LNA with fighter jets. Strikes by Russian-supplied MiGs reportedly led to civilian harm on <\/span>two<\/span><\/a> occasions<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Lujain Muhammad Buresh, allegedly killed by GNA shelling on Qasr Bin Gashir on June 1st, 2020 (image via Tarhuna 24)<\/p><\/div>\n After three months of relative calm in northwestern Syria, Russian airstrikes were reported for the first time on June 3rd and then again on June 8th-9th, with some reportedly leading to civilian harm. These actions brought into sharp focus the fragility of a major ceasefire initially agreed in March – raising fears that Russia\u2019s aerial campaign on Idlib could resume. In total, four civilian harm incidents allegedly involving Russia were reported during the month, resulting in eight civilian deaths and the injury of 16 others.<\/span><\/p>\n The June 3rd airstrikes took place in an area where the boundaries of Hama, Idlib and Latakia provinces meet, close to the highly strategic M4 highway, where Turkish and Russian forces conduct their joint patrols as part of the truce agreement. These strikes were aimed at pushing Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants – who enjoy a significant presence in this area -further away from the M4 highway, to create a buffer from the Sahl al-Ghab area in northern Hama province.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Five days later, Russian warplanes began reportedly striking a number of areas in Idlib. On June 8th, local sources reported that Russian warplanes hit the al-Muzarra village in Jabal al-Zawiya in southern Idlib, According to <\/span>SMART News Agency<\/span><\/a>, two civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the attack. According to <\/span>Baladi News<\/span><\/a>, four civilians from the same family were injured.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The next day saw alleged Russian strikes in Balyoun, Kansafra, and Idlib city resulting in civilian harm. In Balyoun, one civilian was killed and eight others were injured in an aerial bombardment on residential areas in the western part of the village. According to <\/span>Baladi News<\/span><\/a>, the civilian killed was <\/span>Abdullah Ahmad al-Dani<\/b> from the neighbouring town of Kansafra. In Kansafra, Russian raids killed one civilian and injured four others. Meanwhile, on the same day, three children (<\/span>Salah Ghajar, Rand Saed al Din and Rand\u2019s brother Huthaifah<\/b>) were killed when a cluster munition left behind from the previous bombing by Russian warplanes exploded near a farm in the al-Jedar area.<\/span><\/p>\n Following this June 8th spike in alleged Russian action, there were no further reports of civilian harm from Russian strikes for the rest of the month.<\/span><\/p>\n Civilian body being carried following an alleged Russian airstrike in Balyoun on June 9th (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)<\/p><\/div>\n The month of June saw only one civilian harm incident locally reported to have involved the US-led Coalition in Syria. This was a welcome decrease from the four incidents reported for the previous month, which remains the highest monthly tally of the year to date.<\/span><\/p>\n On June 24th, on the road between Idlib city and the town of Binnish, a Coalition drone reportedly targeted a \u2018Santa Fe\u2019 car, allegedly killing Abu Adnan Al-Homsi, a senior figure in Huras al-Din, an affiliate of al-Qaeda. According to <\/span>SMART<\/span><\/a>, the drone strike also killed a civilian riding a motorbike near the targeted car. This came ten days after a similar incident, when a drone targeted a car carrying two members of Huras al-Din, known as Qasim al-Urduni and Bilal al-Sana\u2019i. However, no civilians were reportedly harmed in that event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another strike on Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham was reported by locals on June 16th, south of Sarmada in northern Idlib. According to local sources, the strike hit an Islamic tribunal in the area. However, both the number and combatant status of people killed in that event is still not known.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, military operations against ISIS targets were also reported throughout the month. On June 20th, the US-led Coalition allegedly launched a strike on the road between al-Dana and al-Bad in eastern Aleppo, killing ISIS commander Fayez al-Akkal, who also served as the former \u2018governor\u2019 of Raqqa. On June 21st, another International Coalition strike took place on a motorcycle belonging to an unidentified ISIS militant near the Kubaiba oil field in southern Hasaka Governorate.<\/span><\/p>\n Local sources also reported four strikes against Iran-backed groups by planes locally identified as belonging to the International Coalition. The first took place in the town of Maizilliah in Deir Ezzor province on June 6th, <\/span>killing<\/span><\/a> approximately eight people. The second was in the Thalathat area, west of al-Boukamal on June 8th. Another airstrike was reported in the al-Akershi desert, southeast of Raqqa city, and finally, the last locally reported strike took place in al-Abbas village near al-Boukamal, where according to reports, six headquarters were targeted in a major raid on June 28th.<\/span><\/p>\n In Iraq, there was one civilian harm incident reported in the Abu Zuwair area near Baiji. This came after a US MQ-IC Gray Eagle armed drone crashed in the area, which led to shepherds approaching the fallen drone. However, another drone arrived and struck the same area killing the four shepherds near the crashed drone. According to other sources, the shepherds had carried parts of the drone in a pickup truck and were then pursued by a second drone and killed as they tried to leave the area.<\/span><\/p>\n Turkish-led actions varied considerably in Syria and Iraq during June. The number of civilian harm incidents involving Turkish action decreased considerably in Syria, while Iraq saw Turkey escalating its ongoing anti-PKK campaign, after launching Operation Claw-Tiger.<\/span><\/p>\n Airwars tracked one civilian harm incident in Syria involving alleged Turkish action. On June 23rd, a Turkish drone strike reportedly killed three women in the village of Helince, east of Kobani. According to local reports, the house of <\/span>Amina Waysi<\/b>, was hit, killing her and two other women – <\/span>Zehra Berkel<\/b>, a coordinating member of the Kongra Star women\u2019s movement; and <\/span>Mizgin Xelil<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n #Urgent<\/a> — Hoshang Hassan (@HoshangHesen) June 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/unnamed.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAir and artillery strikes decrease in Libya as GNA advances continue<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Russian strikes resume in Syria as ceasefire slowly unravels<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/unnamed-1-1.png\")
<\/a>US-led Coalition in Iraq and Syria<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nTurkey in Syria and Iraq<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Three civilians lost their lives due to the targeting of a drone believed to be a #Turkish<\/a> drone in the village of Helinc east of #Koban\u00ea<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/0sRPoexp99<\/a><\/p>\n