On 6 November 2022, six camps, in addition to two sites of alleged military headquarters, in the vicinity of the village of Kafr Jalis in western Idlib countryside, were hit by airstrikes and missiles.

The attacks resulted in ten fatalities, including 4 children and a woman, and the injury of 70 others. Additionally, documentation shows 41 tents completely damaged and 100 tents partially damaged. Approximately 3,000 people were displaced as a result of the strikes. Six camps, namely Maram, Watan, Kafr Ruhein Water Station Camp, Wadi Khaled Camp, Baya’ba Camp, and Mourin Camp, also suffered damage as a result of the strikes. These details were reported by Al-Watan Organization, an organisation supporting the camps.

Methodology

Syrian Archive conducted an investigation into the attacks, based on:

• Preservation, analysis, and verification of 240 videos, images, and reports uploaded on social media showing the location of the impact, the initial moments of targeting, the alleged weapons used, the location of projectiles fall, the extent of the damage, and the alleged casualties.
• Verifying the location of the impact by matching prominent landmarks visible in the visual content with satellite imagery and initial reports of the incident.
• Analyzing  satellite imagery showing the impact sites.
• Analyzing videos showing the moment of the attack and the surrounding areas, as well as the alleged remnants of the munitions used.

These investigations were the result of multiple stages of open-source analysis, which provided information regarding the date, time, and location of the incident, as well as the casualties, alleged ammunition used, and the party claimed to be responsible for the strikes and resulting damage. By examining all available information about the strikes, these investigations provide an understanding of the incidents and potential perpetrators. The full research methodology of Syrian Archive is available on our website.

About the findings

The investigations findings suggest Syrian government forces and the Russian Air Force are likely responsible for at least one of the six incidents. The investigation finds the use of aircraft likely of Su-24m type and rocket launchers that may have been sourced from Syrian government forces stationed in Saraqib and Khan al-Sabil.

Aviation data

Open source information and flight monitoring data from a monitoring organization show several Russian fixed-wing aircraft taking off from the Hmeimim Air Base (about 88 km southwest of Kafr Jalis) around the time of the attacks, between 06:10 and 06:40. Several Russian-operated aircraft, operated by Russian soldiers or Syrians, were also observed flying over the city of Idlib (about 5 kilometers southeast of Kafr Jalis) between 06:39 and 07:13.  The common practice of military aircraft circling in war zones generally indicates an attempt to acquire the target and/or prepare for an imminent strike.  Additionally, drones were observed flying westward over the city of Idlib between 06:03 and 08:11.

Russian aircraft were also observed flying over the villages surrounding the impact site. Russian aircraft were seen flying southeast over Al Fu’ah at 06:41 (about 8 km east of Kafr Jalis). Russian aircraft were observed flying east and southwest over Maarrat Misrin (about 6 kilometers east of Kafr Jalis) between 06:40 and 07:14. Similarly, Russian aircraft were observed flying southwest and northeast over Hafsarjah (about 9 kilometers west of Kafr Jalis) between 06:53 and 07:13, and flying south over Binnish (about 9 kilometers east of Kafr Jalis) at 07:15.

There is no open source information that definitively confirms the direct involvement of one or more of the observed aircraft in the detailed strikes under investigation. However, reports of Russian aircraft presence over the towns and surrounding areas increase the likelihood of airstrikes in the region during the estimated time period.

Munitions used

Remnants of missiles and unexploded fragments indicate the types of munitions used in the attacks, including:300mm 9M55k missilesGround-to-ground missiles of the 220mm 9M27-K variantCluster bombs of the 9N 235 variant

The image in the top right is from a video by Radio Alkul, the top left image is from a video by Baladi Network published on 6 November 2022, and the bottom image is from ARES website, all showing remnants of a 220mm 9M27-K missile. For full details, please refer to the Syrian Archive investigation on Kafr Jalis.

At the top, an image from ARES website, remnants of a 300mm 9M55k missile are shown. In the bottom, an image, remnants of a missile that fell in one of the targeted locations are shown from the “Lest We Forget” Facebook page. For full details, please refer to the Syrian Archive investigation on Kafr Jalis.

The top-right image from ARES website shows remnants of a cluster bomb. The top-left image is from Azer News. The bottom image is from the Syrian Civil Defense channel on Telegram, published on 7 November 2022. For full details, please refer to the Syrian Archive investigation on Kafr Jalis.

Based on the images, videos, and comparison with prominent landmarks, Syrian Archive has identified the impact of strikes in 17 locations (4 in Maram Camp, 5 in Wadi Khaled Camp, 5 in Kafr Ruhein Water Station Camp, and 3 in Mourin Camp). Syrian Archive was unable to determine the location of projectile impacts in Baya’ba Camp. Additionally, there were 21 impact points in the two locations claimed by the Syrian Ministry of Defense to be military bases.

Syrian Archive has published an investigation into the incident at Maram Camp - Watan and conducted three additional investigations into the attacks on the other camps that were targeted on the same day.

Wadi Khaled Camp

Mourin and Baya’ba Camp

Kafr Ruhein Water Station Camp