Coalition operations in 2021 | 23 anti-Iranian and Jihadist attacks…82 security operations with SDF…48 batches of military and logistical reinforcement to NE Syria

International Coalition Forces have completed the 87^th consecutive month of their operations in Syria. Despite subsiding military operations in 2021, the International Coalition continued cooperating with Syria Democratic Forces through sending military and logistical supplies to Syria, participation in security campaigns which aimed to eliminate ISIS cells in SDF-held areas, and targeting jihadist groups and ISIS members and commanders in north and north-west Syria, as well as Iranian forces and their proxy militias.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has tracked and monitored all operations and movements by the International Coalition in 2021, which can be captured in the following main points:

Over 125 Iranian-backed militiamen killed and wounded in 17 airstrikes

A heightened state of tension is growing between the International Coalition and Iranian-backed Syrian and non-Syrian militias across Syria in light of the Coalition’s efforts to curb and eliminate Iranian presence in Syria.

According to SOHR statistics, airstrikes by US aircraft and Coalition drones hit Iranian positions on 17 occasions in 2021, 16 attacks targeted positions, headquarters, posts and vehicles in Al-Bokamal city and countryside, on the Syria-Iraq border, and only one attack was hit Al-Mayadeen.

These attacks left 49 Iranian-backed Syrian and non-Syrian militiamen dead and over 78 others injured, some seriously, and destroyed at least 23 targets.

For more details on these airstrikes, click here.

 

https://www.syriahr.com/en/229690/

 

Iranian-backed militias, however, have not kept silent and reacted to the US and Coalition airstrikes, as SOHR documented several skirmishes and attacks by both sides. Here is a summary:

• June 28: Iranian-backed militias fired several rockets on Al-Omar oil field and associated residences in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where a US military base is located. The rockets caused material damage and burned down some cars at the targeted site. Shortly after this volley of rockets, artillery units of the International Coalition stationed in the workers’ residential city in Al-Omar oil field targeted positions of Iranian-backed militias in Al-Mayadeen city in Deir Ezzor countryside.

• June 30: International Coalition Forces renewed rocket attacks on Iranian-backed militias’ posts in Al-Mayadeen desert in west Deir Ezzor, before the Iranians responded by re-attacking Al-Omar oil field on July 4.

• July 10: Iranian-backed militias targeted with a guided missile Koniko gas field which hosts a Coalition military base in east Deir Ezzor countryside.

• July 11: Iranian-backed militias fired a homemade rocket on Al-Omar oil field, which hosts the largest Coalition base in Syria.

• August 31: Three rockets were fired from Khsham town controlled by Iranian-backed militias on Koniko gas field, near the American base. Meanwhile, the International Coalition aircraft flew over the area after the rockets attack.

The cat-and-mouse attacks between the Iranians and Coalition have been confined to west Euphrates region, as an attack, which was the first of its kind, targeted Al-Tanaf base on October 20 in the 55-kilometre zone in the Syrian desert, near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border triangle. According to SOHR sources, several explosions were heard in Al-Tanf military base of International Coalition due to drone attacks which targeted the buffet, a mosque, and depot of food supply inside the base.

SOHR sources confirmed that the International Coalition forces and Jaish Al-Maghaweer were deployed in the vicinity of Al-Tanf base, along with reports of drones targeting Al-Tanf base, while the armed faction evacuated the base of vehicles to transport them to other posts which had been equipped with mobile medical clinics.

Ongoing operations targeting Jihadists in Idlib and Turkish-held areas.

International Coalition Forces targeted several jihadists in Turkish-held areas and parts of Idlib, as Coalition and US drones carried out six attacks in 2021, five of which were in the last quarter of this year, which left nine people dead and several injured.

Idlib

SOHR sources reported three drone attacks in 2021, which killed three jihadists and a man who was escorting a commander of the jihadist organisation of “Hurras Al-Din”, while several civilians were also injured. These attacks were as follows:

• April 15: A drone of the International Coalition targeted a vehicle of a military faction in the west of Idlib city, which caused material damage only. However, the identities of the targeted militiamen remained unknown.

• September 20: Three jihadists, “Abu Al-Baraa Al-Tunsi”, “Abu Hamza Al-Yemeni” and “Saleem Abu Ahmed”, the official responsible for planning and funding in Al-Qaeda, were killed in strikes by International Coalition drones on their car on the road between Binnish and Idlib.

• December 3: A US drone targeted a motorcycle on the road to Al-Mastumah in Idlib countryside, which killed an ex-jihadist of Hurras Al-Din organisation. According to SOHR sources, the targeted man had been an escort of the senior commander in Hurras Al-Din organisation “Abu Abdullrahman Al-Makki”. The former jihadist, who was from Ihsim town in Jabal Al-Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib, had abandoned fighting nearly a year ago, and taught Turkish in an institute in Idlib city. The attack also injured six civilians of the same family, a man, his wife and their four sons, including two children; the family were displaced from KafrBatikh village in the eastern countryside of Idlib, as the car they were traveling in was passing through the site of the drone attack.

In Turkish-held areas, SOHR activists documented the death of five former members of jihadists groups and ISIS in three attacks by Coalition drones in Aleppo, Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah countryside.

• October 22: An ex-commander of the former “Jabhat Al-Nusra” which had sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda, who later joined “Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah” faction, was killed in an attack by a US drone near Arbid junction in Sluk countryside in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah, in “Peace Spring” areas.

• October 25: A commander called “Sabahi Al-Ibrahim Al-Musleh”, aka “Abu Hamza Shuhayl”, was killed with two of his escorts after being targeted with two missiles fired by a Coalition drone near Al-Adwaniyah village to the west of Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) in Al-Hasakah countryside. It is worth noting that the targeted commander was the founder of the former “Jabhat Al-Nusra” which previously swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda in Deir Ezzor. The commander himself swore allegiance to ISIS and worked in arms trafficking, but recently joined the Turkish-backed 20^th

• November 7: An ISIS member was killed and another injured, after the car they were traveling in was targeted by a drone of the International Coalition in Jarabulus city in areas under the control of Turkish forces and the factions of “Euphrates Shield” operations room in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo.

Ongoing military and logistical reinforcement

In 2021, the International Coalition continued sending military and logistical supplies to its bases in north-east Syria region, particularly Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah. The Syrian Observatory has documented since the beginning of this year the entry of 48 batches of 1,670 trucks carrying vehicles and military and logistical supplies from Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Here is a monthly breakdown of Coalition reinforcement supplies: :

• January: 210 trucks entered in six batches on the 4^th, 7^th, 10^th, 16^th, 19^th and 20^th of January.

• February: 295 trucks entered in seven batches on the 3^rd, 6^th, 8^th, 14^th, 18^th, 23^rd and 27^th of February.

• March: 140 trucks entered in four batches on the 4^th, 13^th, 18^th and 24^th of March.

• April: 50 trucks entered in two batches on the 1^st and 14^th of April.

• May: 125 trucks entered in four batches on the 5^th, 9^th and 13^th of .

• June: 55 trucks entered in two batches on the 16^th and 20^th of June.

• July: 135 trucks entered in four batches on the 10^th, 19^th , 24^th and 28^th of July.

• August: 110 trucks entered in three batches on the 1^st, 17^th and 26^th of August.

• September: 175 trucks entered in four batches on the 2^nd, 9^th , 12^th and 27^th of September.

• October: 80 trucks entered in two batches on the 24^th and 28^th of October.

• November: 135 trucks entered in five batches on the 1^st, 6^th, 8^th, 13^th and 28^th of November.

• December: 160 trucks entered in five batches on the 2^nd, 7^th, 11^th, 14^th and 16^th of December.

415 people killed and arrested in over 80 security operations with SDF

Also in 2021, SOHR sources monitored the participation of International Coalition Forces in 82 joint security campaigns with SDF, including raids and airdrops, in Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah. During these campaigns, 392 people, including ISIS commanders, were arrested for “belonging and dealing with ISIS and arms trafficking”. Moreover, 23 people, including four civilians and 19 ISIS members and cells, were killed in the same campaigns.

Further details of the number and outcomes of these security campaigns are summarised monthly as follows:

• January: 52 people arrested in seven security campaigns. Three ISIS members were killed in an attack by Coalition aircraft on a hut in Suhat Al-Pufirio in north-east Deir Ezzor desert.

• February: 61 people arrested in nine security campaigns.

• March: 38 people arrested in eight security campaigns. Six members of ISIS cells were killed in clashes with the Coalition and SDF in Habbat Al-Eid in north Deir Ezzor desert, near Al-Suwar town

• April: 13 people arrested in three security campaigns.

• May: 32 people arrested in nine security campaigns.

• June: 19 people arrested in four security campaigns. A member of ISIS cells was killed in Al-Shuhayl town in eastern Deir Ezzor.

• July: 13 people arrested in five security campaigns. Three ISIS members were killed in airstrikes by Coalition aircraft on a house in KherbetJamous village in the eastern countryside of Al-Hasakah, near Jabal Kawkab which is under the control of regime forces.

• August: 23 people arrested in eight security campaigns.

• September: 49 people arrested in seven security campaigns. A civilian was killed in gunfire by the International Coalition in Al-Zarr village in Deir Ezzor countryside, as well as the death of three members of ISIS cells during an airdrop in Al-Shuhayl town.

• October: 85 people arrested in nine security campaigns. A civilian was killed in gunfire by the International Coalition in Shninah village in Al-Raqqah city.

• November: 19 people arrested in eight security campaigns. A man suspected of belonging to ISIS was killed in gunfire by the International Coalition in Al-Sabha village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

• December: 15 people arrested in five security campaigns. Four people, a teacher, two of his sons and his brother-in-law, were killed in Al-Busayrah town in eastern Deir Ezzor. It is worth noting that the teacher and one of the sons were civilians, while the other two men were of ISIS cells.

Abductees forgotten by Coalition and SDF

33 months have passed since the International Coalition’s official declaration of the elimination of Islamic State as a dominating force over east of the Euphrates River. Despite all the developments that took place over the past month, the Coalition and SDF’s silence continues regarding ISIS abductees. No details on the fate of thousands of abductees are provided; and no information about the results of the interrogations of ISIS member is available, as thousands are held by SDF and the Coalition, east of the Euphrates.

Concerns about the abductees’ lives and fate are growing, including the fate of father Paulo Dall’Oglio, Bishop John Ibrahim, Paul Yaziji, Abdullah Al-Khalil, a British journalist, Sky News journalist, and other journalists, and hundreds of abductees from Ayn Al-Arab (Kobani) and Afrin and other people from Deir Ezzor.

2021: another year passes and no investigation into alleged Coalition massacres

Despite SOHR repeated and “unheeded” appeals, International Coalition and SDF have not announced the results of interrogations with ISIS detainees and what happened to the thousands of abductees. The Syrian Observatory had previously called upon the international community to investigate reports regarding the killing of 200 ISIS operatives and their families, women and children, in a massacre committed by the Coalition’s jets by bombing Al-Baghouz camp on March 21, 2019.

According to SOHR sources, 200 bodies were buried at dawn on that particular day, without information as to whether the International Coalition was aware of the presence of children and women from ISIS families inside the camp or not.

However, all these appeals remain unanswered. Therefore, SOHR renews its calls and appeals to all relevant parties to disclose and announce the whole facts and hold accountable those responsible for the massacres and violations over the past five years during which the Coalition were actively involved in the Syrian crisis.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while providing adequate monitoring of Coalition operations in Syria, stresses once more that it would have been possible to avoid the heavy losses of Syrian civilian lives if the International Coalition had not ignored SOHR’s calls to spare and protect civilians from its military operations, where the presence of Islamic State militants or other jihadist groups in a civilian area does not in any way justify the blank and discriminate bombardment of area and the loss of civilian lives.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also stresses that the negative impact of Turkish military intervention on civilians could have been avoided, if US Presidents had applied enough pressure on their Turkish counterpart to stop a new humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands and killing and injuring hundreds.

On the other hand, we at SOHR would like to remind the world that the oil and gas resources, controlled by the International Coalition, belong only to the Syrian people. Therefore, all the concerned parties are obliged under international laws and norms to preserve these resources and ensure that they will not be stolen or seized in any way; these resources do not belong to the “regime”, “Iran” or any other party; they belong only to the people of Syria, who have been suffering the brutalities of an ongoing war for over nine years. SOHR also warns of repercussions of exploiting these sources, seizing them or depriving the Syrians of their rights in resources.

The Syrian Observatory would like to point out that all information and figures mentioned in this report have been documented and updated until the date of publication.