After a year of US-led coalition airstrikes, “Islamic State” loses about 15 square kilometers out of its-held areas in Syria
US-led coalition warplanes are still targeting several areas since September 23, 2014, where today marks the first anniversary of these attacks that have targeted “Islamic State” , Jabhat al –Nusra (al- Qaeda in Syria), Jaysh al- Sunnah and other Islamist factions that includes in their ranks fighters of Arab and foreign nationalities. The airstrikes focus intensively on “Islamic State” supporting YPG and the allied rebel factions. These strikes also played the main role in retaking the city of Ayn al- Arab and more than 356 villages in its countryside by the Turkish fighters as well as retaking the town of Serrin and its villages, the two towns of Ayn Isa and al- Sharakrak, the city of Tal Abyad in the north of al- Raqqa, the town of Sluk, the city of Ras al- Ayn (Sari Kanyi), towns of Aalya, Mabroukah, Tal Tamer, Jabal Abdul Aziz, Tal Brak, Tal Hamis and the countryside of al- Ya’robiyya (Tal Kojar). Thus, “Islamic State” lost about 15 km2 out of its-held area in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, northern and northeastern countryside of al- Raqqa and the countryside of al- Hasakah. US-led coalition airstrikes have also supported YPG in the battles around the city of al- Hasakah.
In addition to, the coalition warplanes participated timidly in supporting the rebel and Islamist factions that fight “Islamic State” in the north of Aleppo, where they only carried out several airstrikes on IS-held areas, its positions and vehicles, as well as they supported factions trained by USA in Turkey when Jabhat al- Nusra attacked their posts in the north of Aleppo.
On the other hand, SOHR documented the death of 3550 people at least since the beginning of the U.S led coalition airstrikes on Syria in September 23, until this morning September 23, hundreds others were wounded as well, vast majority IS extremists.
The number of civilians who were killed in the coalition airstrikes on oil areas that contain oil refineries, oil wells, building and vehicles, in the provinces of al- Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, al- Raqqa, Aleppo and Idlib has risen to225, including 65 children and 40 women. Among the deaths, there is a family of a man, his wife and their 5 children killed in US- led coalition airstrikes on the village of Dali Hasan in east of the town of Serrin in northeast of Aleppo and 64 civilians killed by a massacre committed by the U.S led coalition warplanes on Friday’s night in 04/30/2015 when they targeted Bir Mahli village near the town of Serrin in Aleppo with several air strikes, and the death toll of this massacre includes:
– 31 children under the age of 16 including ( 16 females and 15 males ).
– 19 women above the age of 18.
– 13 men above the age of 18.
– A 18 years old boy.
Meanwhile, 136 fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra killed by coalition air strikes on their HQs in the western countryside of Aleppo and the northern countryside of Idlib. Among the deaths there are leading figures like Abo Homam, the military leader in Jabhat al- Nusra, Abo Omar al- Kerdi, Abo Hamzah al- Faransi, Abo Qutadah al- Tonusi and the prominent leader in al- Qaeda Mohsen al- Fadli.
3178 militants from IS, most of them Non-Syrian fighters, were also killed by the coalition airstrikes on their HQs and groupings as well as on oil refineries in Homs, Hama, al-Hasakah, al-Raqqa, Der-Ezzor, and Aleppo. The death toll concludes dozens of leaders of Arab and foreign nationalities like Abo Osama al- Iraqi who the Wali (the governor) of al- Brakah State, Aamer al- Refdan who was the ex-wali of al- Kheir State and Abo Sayyaf.
In addition to, 10 fighters from al- Sunnah Army killed due to airstrikes carried out by US- led coalition warplanes on their headquarter in Atmah area in the countryside of Idlib. Another fighter from an Islamic brigade, who was detained by IS, killed by coalition air strikes on IS HQ in Ma’dan in al-Raqqa countryside.
We, in SOHR, believe that the real number of casualties on IS and the other factions’ ranks is more than our documented number due to IS concealment on its casualties, and because there is information about 200 other IS militants at least killed the airstrikes.
After 12 months, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights re-expresses its strong condemnation to kill 206 civilians, including 104 women and children, due to the coalition airstrikes, and calls for neutralizing civilian’s areas from all kinds of military operations, where the victims of these operations are the Syrian civilians whose millions of them have been wounded and displaced. Meanwhile, the international community are still turning a deaf ear to our people’s pleas, their hope of establishing the state of democracy, justice, equality and freedom as well as sentencing those who have killed them and violated their rights.