Timeline | Recent developments across Syria
July 15, 2021
Regime-held areas
-SOHR activists in Daraa have reported an IED explosion in the car of a commander of the Russian-backed 8th Brigade in the early hours of Wednesday morning on Daraa-Damascus highway near Sayda town. The explosion caused material damage only.
It is worth noting that the targeted commander was a former commander in opposition factions and struck a reconciliation deal after regime forces captured Daraa, where he joined the 8th Brigade.
-Syrian Observatory activists have documented the death of a man and his son and the injury of the man’s brother, after unknown gunmen opened fire on the three civilians who were on their way to work in al-Ghariyah al-Sharqiyah town in rural Daraa. It is worth noting that the attackers stole money, jewelry and personal properties from the victims.
-Unidentified gunmen targeted a civilian in Nawy city in west of Darra. The shooting has wounded the man who is a former leader in the opposition military faction.
On the other hand, a group leader of the military security service who used to lead opposition factions in Darra before striking settlement has stormed a house in Om Wald town in Daraa countryside and has arrested several civilians.
Aleppo
-Reliable sources have told the Syrian Observatory that the Turkish forces and their proxy factions continue retrieving bodies of civilians and military personnel from a mass grave discovered near the Local Council in Afrin city. Over 57 bodies have been retrieved so far, while the retrieved bodies have been taken to unknown place.
According to SOHR sources, the bodies in this mass grave are of identified civilians and military personnel with tombstones on their tombs, as most of them were killed during the siege imposed on Afrin in early 2018.
– SOHR activists have reported death of a member from the Kurdish frontlines on Arimah village that is stationed under control or military al-Bab council under the leadership of SDF in east of Aleppo.
On the other hand, another member of the Turkish-backed factions at the frontline Jatel in Manbij countryside was killed by members of Manbij Military Council in eastern Aleppo countryside.
– SOHR sources also have documented death of two members of Ankara-backed “National Army” in a successful sneaking operation of Manbij Military Council at the frontline of al-Ghandourah in Manbij countryside, while other five have sustained different injuries in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Turkish forces have heavily bombarded Kurdish forces-held areas in north Aleppo, but no casualties have been reported.
-Death toll rises to two due to artillery fire in Afrin city and they are unidentified child and an adult in addition to ten people have been wounded in the attack including women and children. Deaths are expected to rise because some of the wounded sustained serious injuries.
SOHR activists have documented, few hours ago, that a child was killed and other were wounded in shelling Afrin city that is stationed under control of the Turkish forces and its proxies.
-Turkish forces and its proxies have bombarded positions in villages of Mara’naz, Ain Daqnah, al-olqmyah and military Meng airport in the areas under control of the Kurdish forces in north Aleppo countryside.
On the other hand, five artillery shells hit al-Zaydiah area in Afrin city, but no information about casualties have been reported yet.
SDF-held areas
-SOHR sources have reported that the International Coalition forces have carried out a new airdrop with four helicopters and two drones, targeting the house of an ISIS member who is in charge of assassinations in al-Raz town in the eastern countryside of Daraa. Meanwhile, the ISIS member showed resistance during the airdrop and opened fire on the International Coalition forces, attempting to escape, while Coalition forces responded by firing several rockets on farmlands surrounding the member’s house, which caused the injury of a little girl, before the member was arrested.
On the other hand, a patrol of Syria Democratic Forces stormed al-Khudayrat school inhabited by displaced people near al-Busayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, backed by Coalition helicopters, with the aim to arrest a man living in the school. As the wanted man was attempting to escape, SDF members shot him dead.
Al-Hawl camp’s administration has deported today new batch of population in Raqqa province and countryside who has inhabited the camp over years.
According to SOHR sources, number of populations who have deported the camp are 299 persons of 82 families. Dozens of the families have been transferred in tens of vehicles in their road to al-Raqqa province amid an initiative of Democratic Council of North and East Syria to empty the camp of Syrians.
De-escalation zone
SOHR activists have documented the death of a civilian in rocket fire by regime forces, which targeted Tadil area in the western countryside of Aleppo.
On the other hand, Turkish forces shelled regime positions in Maarrat al-Nu’man in the southern countryside of Idlib. Moreover, the factions of “al-Fath al-Mubin” shelled positions in the regime-controlled town of Jurin in Sahl al-Ghab in the north-western countryside of Hama, as a response to the massacre by regime forces on Idlib this morning.
-A few hours ago, SOHR sources reported that the number of civilians killed in regime massacre in Masbah area nearby al-Fu’ah town in north-eastern Idlib jumped to six. Moreover, the death toll is expected to rise further as the bombardment left seven over persons injured, some seriously.
SOHR activists had documented the death of three civilians, including a woman and a child, due to rocket fire by regime forces this morning on Iblin in Jabal al-Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib.
Accordingly, the number of civilians killed and injured today in bombardment by regime forces on the “de-escalation zone” has reached 20 people
– Reliable SOHR sources say that a security patrol of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham has arrested a doctor in his clinic in al-Dana city, near the border with Iskenderun region in northern Idlib. It is worth noting that the doctor is from al-Saharah town in the western countryside of Aleppo. However, the reasons behind arresting the doctor remained unknown.