The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Coalition operation at Iskenderun border | Member of HTS shot dead at Idlib-Aleppo administrative border

Aleppo province: Reliable sources have informed SOHR that a member of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) was among the 13 people who have been killed during the International Coalition operation in an area located at the administrative border between Idlib and Aleppo near the Syria border with Turkey’s Iskenderun, in the past few hours.

The HTS’ armed member who was watched near the targeted area was killed during exchange of fire with Coalition forces. SOHR sources confirm that the HTS’ member was not among the targeted persons by the Coalition security operation. Meanwhile, the main objective of the operation remains unknown.

Reliable sources have just informed SOHR that the death toll of the International Coalition “security operation” in Idlib had risen to 13 people, including four children, three women and three dismembered bodies. Meanwhile, the identities of those killed remain unknown.

These people were all killed in an airdrop and air attacks by the Coalition forces and aircraft near Atamah region at Iskenderun border in the north countryside of Idlib province. The number of deaths is expected to rise further because there is information about other dead people and also some of the wounded people have sustained severe injuries.

Until this moment, the main objectives of the operation have not been confirmed, while some media outlets have circulated many names of Jihadists among the fatalities. Meanwhile, SOHR stresses that the details of the operation are not clear. However, SOHR sources work on identifying the targeted people, airstrikes and other details about the attack that lasted for more the three hours and half.

Earlier this morning, SOHR sources reported that nine people, including at least two children and a woman, were killed in the “security” operation that had been conducted by the International Coalition in Idlib province.

The operation began in midnight (Damascus local time) and continued until 03:30 AM during which the International Coalition conducted an airdrop near Atamah region at Iskenderun border in the north countryside of Idlib province.

SOHR sources said that the operation was similar to that one which targeted Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in Idlib in 2019.

According to SOHR sources, the operation was complex as the Coalition forces were met with fierce resistance by militants who clashed with the forces that carried out the airdrop for nearly 90 minutes.

The Coalition aircraft took part in the operation by targeting the area with five airstrikes. Meanwhile, the identity of the targeted people and their destiny remained unknown till now.

SOHR sources confirmed the attack on a two-story building while no confirmed information about the identity of the dead people was revealed, amid the presence of scattered mutilated bodies. Also, it has not been confirmed yet whether the children and the woman were belonging to the targeted families.