| 2024 Ayn Issa attack | |
|---|---|
| Part ofOperation Dawn of Freedom during theSyrian civil war | |
| Location | Al-Mustariha,Raqqa Governorate,Syria |
| Date | 8 December 2024 Around 11:00 p.m. (AST) |
Attack type | Drone strike,massacre |
| Deaths | 11, including 6 children(SOHR) |
| Perpetrator |  Turkish Armed Forces |
On the night of 8 December 2024, aTurkish drone strike targeted a residential structure in Al-Mustariha village inRaqqa Governorate, killing eleven members of a single family, which included six children. (SOHR)[1] The civilianmass casualty event contributed to considerable panic among the local population in areas held byAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria regarding military escalation in the region with the onset ofOperation Dawn of Freedom and the2024 Manbij offensive conducted by the pro-TurkishSyrian National Army (SNA) againstSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions. These airstrikes took places in three provinces:Al-Hasakah Governorate (140 strikes killed 3 Syrian soldiers, 24 military personnel, and 6 civilians, including one woman),Raqqa Governorate (7 strikes resulted in the deaths of 4 military personnel and 11 civilians) and RuralAleppo (45 strikes killed 4 military personnel and 3 civilians).[2]
Through 2024, Turkish forces conducted 191 documented drone strikes across northern Syria based on statistics cited by theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights. These operations resulted in 55 fatalities and caused injuries to 49 military personnel and 73 civilians, including six women and three children. The casualty figures included 32Autonomous Administration military personnel, threeSyrian Arab Armed Forces troops, and 20 civilians, among them one woman.[3]
Following the capture ofTell Rifaat, the Turkish-backedSyrian National Army (SNA) announced a military campaign targeting Manbij, a strategic city in the eastern Aleppo countryside. The opposition's military operations occurred as part ofOperation Dawn of Freedom simultaneously withOperation Deterrence of Aggression, which advanced fromIdlib towardHoms.[4]
On 8 December 2024 at 11:00 p.m.AST, aTurkishdrone strike targeted a residential structure in Al-Mustariha village, located in theAyn Issa countryside north ofRaqqa. The attack resulted in the deaths of twelve members of a single family, six of which were children and several of whom were women.[5][6][7]
The attack contributed to already-present panic among the local population in areas held byAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria regarding military escalation in the region and the increase in drone strikes in civilian areas.[4]
