A March 16, 2025 drone attack by Türkiye or Türkiye-backed Syrian factions killed seven Kurdish children, their 18-year-old sister, and their parents, apparently all civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack raises concerns that the attackers did not take adequate precautions to minimize harm to civilians.
"Even if a military target was nearby, the forces responsible should have done all they could to minimize civilian harm," said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "Given the devastating toll on one family, it appears the attackers did not take sufficient measures to spare civilians."
This potentially unlawful attack raises concerns about ongoing abuses in Syria, as the new government integrates forces with abusive records, and about Türkiye's continued support for these groups. It is a stark reminder that hostilities are still killing Syrian civilians.
On March 10, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement for integration of forces into the Syrian army and the return of internally displaced people.
On March 16, a drone dropped a Turkish-made munition on a farm near villages controlled by the SDF south of Kobane, killing the family. The farm lies near the front line with territory formerly held by Türkiye-backed factions of the former Syrian National Army (SNA). Only one family member, a 9-year-old girl, survived. Many former SNA factions now affiliated with the transitional government's defense ministry remain active in the area.
Human Rights Watch interviewed the farm's owner, three neighbors who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, and a local human rights activist. Researchers analyzed 21 photos and videos provided by residents and posted online, including footage of the explosion and the evacuation of victims, as well as images of the damage, munition remnants, and bloodied clothing.
Sheraz Qamislo, 33, the farm's owner, said he hired Othman Abdo, 44, as a live-in farmhand on his farm, 25 kilometers south of Kobane, 10 days before the attack. Qamislo said Abdo had no known ties to Kurdish armed groups.
The farm is about 15 kilometers from a military base from where former SNA forces and Turkish forces operate jointly, the owner and the three neighbors said. Human Rights Watch was unable to confirm the exact location of the base.
Halim Ahmed, who lives one kilometer north, separated from the farm by a field, said that about 20 minutes before midnight on March 16, he heard a drone and then several "loud explosions" from the direction of the military base. "Two minutes later, a munition hit the valley by the farm," he said.
Another neighbor, Aqeed Khashom, who lives in the building next to Halim, said he also heard a drone and what he thought was "artillery fire" from the direction of the base, followed by children's screams. He said the shelling and drone strike lasted about 15 minutes.
Öcalan Ahmed, another neighbor, said he heard "blasts" and saw the farm go up in flames: "A few minutes later, I heard the drone strike the valley, and after that, I could no longer hear any voices."
A video that a neighbor said he took from an elevated position in the direction of the farm shows vehicle headlights, a plume of smoke, and an explosion in the distance. The moon's shape and position match the time and date of the attack.
Shortly afterward, a man on a motorbike coming from the farm's direction informed Halim and Öcalan of the casualties. They both said the man was another neighbor of Abdo's who had been visiting the family, but they didn't know him personally.
Halim and Öcalan rushed to the scene and found the family in the field between their homes and the farmhouse, presumably fleeing the initial attack. Only two family members were alive; one died later in the hospital. "It was a massacre," Khashom said.
The victims were: Othman Berkel Abdo, 44; Ghazala Usman Abdo, 41; Ronida, 18; Ahin, 14; Dijla, 12; Dlovan, 11; Yasser, 7; Saleha, 5; Fawaz, 4; and Avista, 9 months. The survivor, Nareen, 9, had metal fragment injuries to her leg, head, and abdomen.
Eight images and one video reviewed by Human Rights Watch show the bloodied bodies of at least five children, one woman, and one man resembling Othman Abdo.
Ronida had joined the Asayish, the Kurdish law enforcement forces in northeast Syria, in mid-2024.
A video of munition remnants at the site analyzed by Human Rights Watch was consistent with parts of a Turkish-made MAM-L laser-guided bomb, which is launched by drones and guided by a semi-active laser seeker, indicating the operator could observe the strike in real time. Images of the damage show uniform fragmentation damage consistent with a munition equipped with preformed fragmentation embedded in the body of the munition to enhance its casualty-producing effect, especially on unprotected personnel in the open.
Human Rights Watch could not verify whether any Kurdish-led armed forces were at the farm that night. Qamislo, the neighbors, and the activist said the nearest SDF position is 15 to 20 kilometers away, and they saw no evidence of armed forces at the farm or any return fire. Photos and videos reviewed by Human Rights Watch showed no military personnel, equipment, or weapons among the rubble.
International humanitarian law prohibits attacks deliberately directed against civilians and civilian objects, or that are indiscriminate, or disproportionate in the civilian harm caused. Civilians have immunity from attack, unless and for such time as they are directly participating in hostilities. In the conduct of military operations, parties to a conflict must take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects from the effects of hostilities. Parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects, whether in attack or defense, and should seek to cancel or suspend an attack if they determine the target is not a military objective or would cause disproportionate civilian harm.
If the attack was carried out by Turkish forces, Türkiye bears ultimate responsibility. If carried out by former SNA factions, the Syrian authorities bear responsibility for abuses by forces integrated into the army as well as for preventing abuses and ensuring accountability. Türkiye, which still oversees some former SNA factions and continues to provide them with weapons, salaries, training, and logistical support, may also bear responsibility for their abuses.
The Syrian transitional government should urgently unify its military under an accountable command with civilian oversight and ensure adherence to international humanitarian law. It should take steps to prevent further violations against Kurdish and other northern Syrian residents and investigate violations with fair legal proceedings. Türkiye should stop supporting abusive commanders and factions and provide reparations to victims.
"Türkiye and Syrian transitional authorities should conduct impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations into the attack," Coogle said. "They should compensate victims of any unlawful strikes and take all feasible measures to minimize civilian casualties."
