Syria : security situation : October 2023.
Date: 2023-11-09
Institutions: European Union Agency for Asylum
Subjects: Syria, civil defence, international protection, refugee, regional security, report, war

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  Syria - 

Security Situation

 
 
 
 
 
Manuscript completed in October 2023  

Neither the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) nor any person acting on behalf of the 
EUAA is responsible for the use that might be made of the information contained within this 
publication. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2023 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-9403-545-5  doi: 10.2847/969687  BZ-09-23-441-EN-N 

© European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), 2023 

Cover photo/illustration: Road signs in front of Palmyra city. Syria, by Rostilav, © Adobe Stock, 
2023, url 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use or reproduction 
of photos or other material that is not under the EUAA copyright, permission must be sought 
directly from the copyright holders. 

 
 
 
 SYRIA - SECURITY SITUATION 

Acknowledgements 

This report was jointly drafted by the EUAA COI Sector together with:  

•  Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation 

(ACCORD) 

•  France, Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), 

Information, Documentation and Research Division. 

The following departments and organisations have reviewed respective parts of this report: 

Belgium, Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons 
(CGRS), Centre for Documentation and Research (Cedoca). 

The review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations contributes to 
the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal endorsement of 
the final report, which is the full responsibility of the EUAA.

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Contents 

Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 3 

Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 4 

Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................................ 8 

Glossary and abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 9 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 11 

Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 11 

Defining the terms of reference .................................................................................. 11 

Collecting information .................................................................................................... 11 

Quality control ................................................................................................................. 12 

Sources ................................................................................................................................................. 12 

Sources on security incidents ..................................................................................... 12 

Sources on civilian casualties ......................................................................................14 

Maps ............................................................................................................................................... 15 

1. 

General description of the security situation ................................................................. 16 

1.1.  Overview of conflicts ................................................................................................................ 16 

1.2.  Political developments .............................................................................................................. 17 

1.3.  International involvement ........................................................................................................ 18 

1.3.1 Russia ....................................................................................................................... 20 

1.3.2 Iran and pro-Iranian militias................................................................................ 21 

1.3.3 Türkiye .................................................................................................................... 22 

1.3.4 US-led Coalition against ISIL ............................................................................ 23 

1.3.5 Israel ........................................................................................................................ 24 

1.4.  Armed actors ............................................................................................................................. 24 

1.4.1.  Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups .......................................... 24 

1.4.2.  The Syrian National Army ................................................................................ 26 

1.4.3.  Syrian Democratic Forces ............................................................................... 28 

1.4.4.  Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham........................................................................................ 30 

1.4.5.  Other anti-government armed groups in the Idlib area .......................... 32 

1.4.6.  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) .................................................... 33 

1.5.  Impact of violence on the civilian population ................................................................... 35 

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1.5.1.  Tactics and weapons used .............................................................................. 35 

1.5.2.  Security incidents ................................................................................................ 37 

1.5.3.  Civilian fatalities .................................................................................................. 40 

1.5.4.  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..43 

1.5.5.  Displacement and return .................................................................................. 44 

2. 

Governorate-level description of the security situation ............................................... 49 

2.1.  Idlib governorate ...................................................................................................................... 49 

2.1.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 50 

2.1.2.  Conflict background and armed actors ....................................................... 50 

2.1.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ............... 50 

2.2. Aleppo governorate.................................................................................................................. 61 

2.2.1.  General description of the governorate ....................................................... 61 

2.2.2. Conflict background and armed actors ....................................................... 62 

2.2.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ............... 66 

2.3. Hama governorate .................................................................................................................... 75 

2.3.1.  General description of the governorate ....................................................... 75 

2.3.2. Conflict background and armed actors ........................................................ 76 

2.3.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ................ 77 

2.4. Latakia governorate ................................................................................................................. 84 

2.4.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 84 

2.4.2. Conflict background and armed actors ....................................................... 85 

2.4.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ............... 86 

2.5. Tartous governorate ................................................................................................................ 90 

2.5.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 90 

2.5.2. Conflict background and armed actors ........................................................ 91 

2.5.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ................ 91 

2.6.  Homs governorate .................................................................................................................. 94 

2.6.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 94 

2.6.2. Conflict background and armed actors ....................................................... 95 

2.6.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ................ 97 

2.7.   Hasaka governorate .............................................................................................................. 103 

2.7.1.  General description of the governorate ..................................................... 103 

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2.7.2. Conflict background and armed actors ...................................................... 104 

2.7.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population .............. 105 

2.8.  Raqqa governorate ................................................................................................................. 112 

2.8.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 112 

2.8.2. Conflict background and armed actors ....................................................... 113 

2.8.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ............... 114 

2.9.  Deir Ez-Zor governorate ........................................................................................................ 121 

2.9.1.  General description of the governorate ...................................................... 121 

2.9.2. Conflict background and armed actors ...................................................... 122 

2.9.3. Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population .............. 123 

2.10.  Damascus governorate ........................................................................................................ 131 

2.10.1.    General description of the governorate .................................................. 131 

2.10.2.  Conflict background and armed actors ................................................. 132 

2.10.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ........ 133 

2.11.  Rural Damascus ...................................................................................................................... 136 

2.11.1    General description of the governorate ................................................... 136 

2.11.2    Conflict background and armed actors ................................................... 137 

2.11.3….Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ........... 138 

2.12.  Dar’a governorate ................................................................................................................. 145 

2.12.1.   General description of the governorate .................................................. 145 

2.12.2.  Conflict background and armed actors ................................................. 146 

2.12.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ........ 147 

2.13.  Quneitra governorate .......................................................................................................... 155 

2.13.1.   General description of the governorate .................................................. 156 

2.13.2.  Conflict background and armed actors ................................................. 156 

2.13.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ......... 157 

2.14.  Sweida governorate ............................................................................................................. 160 

2.14.1.     General description of the governorate ................................................ 160 

2.14.2.  Conflict background and armed actors .................................................. 161 

2.14.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population ......... 162 

Annex 1: Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 168 

Oral sources, including anonymous sources ........................................................................... 168 

Public Sources .................................................................................................................................. 168 

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Annex 2: Terms of Reference .................................................................................................... 233 

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Disclaimer 

This report was written according to the EUAA COI Report Methodology (2023). The report is 
based on carefully selected sources of information. All sources used are referenced. 

The information contained in this report has been researched, evaluated and analysed with 
utmost care. However, this document does not claim to be exhaustive. If a particular event, 
person or organisation is not mentioned in the report, this does not mean that the event has 
not taken place or that the person or organisation does not exist. 

Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particular 
application for international protection. Terminology used should not be regarded as 
indicative of a particular legal position. 

‘Refugee’, ‘risk’ and similar terminology are used as generic terminology and not in the legal 
sense as applied in the EU Asylum Acquis, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. 

Neither the EUAA, nor any person acting on its behalf, may be held responsible for the use 
which may be made of the information contained in this report. 

The drafting of this report was finalised on 31 August 2023. Any event taking place after this 
date is not included in this report. More information on the reference period for this report can 
be found in the Methodology section of the Introduction. 

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Glossary and abbreviations 

Term 

Definition 

AANES 

ACLED 

Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria 

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project 

AOAV 

Action on Armed Violence 

ERW 

EUI 

GoS  

HAD 

HTS 

IDP 

IED 

IRGC 

ISIL 

NDF 

NLF 

NPA 

Explosive Remnants of War 

European University Institute 

Government of Syria 

Hurras al-Din 

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham 

Internally Displaced Person 

Improvised Explosive Device 

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; also known as Islamic State of 
Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh 

National Defence Forces 

National Liberation Front 

North Press Agency 

OHCHR 

Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights 

PKK 

Kurdistan Workers’ Party 

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Term 

PYD 

SAA 

SDF 

SHRC 

SNA 

SNHR 

SOHR 

SSG 

STJ 

TWI 

UNCOI 

UNOCHA 

USDOD 

UXO 

YPG 

Definition 

Democratic Union Party (Kurdish) 

Syrian Arab Army 

Syrian Democratic Forces 

Syrian Human Rights Committee 

Syrian National Army 

Syrian Network for Human Rights 

Syrian Observatory of Human Rights 

Syrian Salvation Government 

Syrians for Truth & Justice 

Washington Institute for Near East Policy 

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian 
Arab Republic 

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 

United States Department of Defense 

Unexploded ordnance 

Kurdish People’s Protection Units 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Introduction 

The purpose of this report is to provide relevant information for the assessment of 
international protection status determination, including refugee status and subsidiary 
protection, and in particular for use in updating EUAA’s country guidance development on 
Syria.  

In order to support the assessment of the application of Article 15(c) of the Qualification 
Directive on a serious and individual threat to a civilian’s life or person by reason of 
indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict, the security 
situation report examines the nature of armed conflicts taking place in the territory, the nature 
of the violence and presence of armed actors in different areas, and the impact on civilians, for 
example in terms of casualties/fatalities and conflict-linked displacement.  

The report covers the period of August 2022 – August 2023, and provides an update of the 
EUAA COI report: Syria - Security situation (September 2022). The report should be read in 
conjunction with the EUAA COI report: Syria - Country focus (October 2023). 

Methodology 

This report was jointly drafted by EUAA, national COI departments in EU+ countries1 and 
ACCORD and reviewed by EUAA and national COI departments in EU+ countries, as 
mentioned in the Acknowledgements section. 

This report is produced in line with the EUAA COI Report Methodology (2023)2 and the EUAA 
COI Writing and Referencing Style Guide (2023).3 

Defining the terms of reference 

The terms of reference (ToR) of this report were defined by EUAA based on discussions held 
and input received from COI experts in the EUAA COI specialist network on Syria and from 
policy experts in EU+ countries within the framework of a Country Guidance development on 
Syria. The ToR also build on previous EUAA COI reports on Syria covering the same topics. 
The Terms of Reference for this report can be found in Annex II of this report. 

Collecting information 

The information gathered is a result of research using public, specialised paper-based and 
electronic sources until 8 August 2023. Some limited additional information was added during 

1 EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland. 
2 EUAA, EUAA Country of Origin Information (COI) Report Methodology, February 2023, url 
3 EUAA, Writing and Referencing Guide for EUAA Country of Origin Information (COI) Reports, February 2023, url 

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the finalisation of this report in response to feedback received during the quality control 
process, until 31 August 2023. 

Quality control 

To ensure that the authors respected the EUAA COI Report Methodology and that the Terms 
of Reference were comprehensively addressed, a review was carried out by COI specialists 
from the countries and organisations listed as reviewers in the Acknowledgements section. All 
comments made by the reviewers were taken into consideration and most of them were 
implemented in the final draft of this report, which was finalised on 31 August 2023. EUAA also 
performed the final quality review and editing of the text.  

Sources 

In accordance with EUAA COI methodology, a range of different published documentary 
sources have been consulted on relevant topics for this report. These include: COI reports by 
governments; information from civil society, advocacy groups, humanitarian organisations, and 
NGOs; international and NGO human rights reports; reports produced by various bodies of the 
United Nations; Syrian and regionally-based media and social media; academic publications 
and think tank reports and specialised sources covering Syria. All information from these 
sources was consulted within time constraints and within the research constraints posed by 
Syria’s challenging information-gathering environment. 

Sources on security incidents 

For data on violent incidents, publicly available curated datasets from the organisation Armed 
Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) have been used. ACLED is a project 
collecting, analysing and mapping information on crisis and conflict in Africa, south and south-
east Asia and Middle East and provides datasets on conflict incidents. It collects data on 
violent incidents in Syria, coding each incident with the time and place, type of violent 
incident, the parties involved and the number of fatalities. The information is collected in a 
database that is openly accessible, searchable and kept continuously up to date. The data 
primarily come from secondary sources such as traditional media reports, but also from 
reports by international institutions and non-governmental organisations, targeted new media 
platforms, and data provided by local partners of ACLED.4 On Syria, ACLED incorporates data 
from a number of partners, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), Airwars, 
the Carter Center, Liveuamap, Syria Direct, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 
the London School of Economics’ Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit, the International 
Security and Development Center and Clingendael Institute.5 

4 ACLED, Methodology, April 2019, url ACLED, FAQs: ACLED Sourcing Methodology, March 2023, url  
5 ACLED, Syria Partner Network, April 2019, url; ACLED, ACLED Integrates New Partner Data on the War in Syria 5 
April 2019, url 

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ACLED codes security incidents as follows: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Battles:  violent  clashes  between  at  least  two  armed  groups.  Battles  can  occur 
between  armed  and  organised  state,  non-state,  and  external  groups,  and  in  any 
combination therein. Sub-events of battles are armed clashes, government regains 
territory and non-state actor overtakes territory. 
Violence  against  civilians:  violent  events  where  an  organised  armed  group 
deliberately  inflicts  violence  upon  unarmed  non-combatants.  It  includes  violent 
attacks  on  unarmed  civilians  such  as  sexual  violence,  attacks,  abduction/forced 
disappearance. 
Explosions/remote violence: events where an explosion, bomb or other explosive 
device  were  used  to engage  in conflict.  They  include  one-sided  violent events  in 
which the tool for engaging in conflict creates asymmetry by taking away the ability 
of  the  targets  to  engage  or  defend  themselves  and  their  location.  They  include 
remote 
air/drone  strikes,  suicide  bombs,  shelling/artillery/missile  attack, 
explosive/landmine/IED, grenade, chemical weapon. 
Riots: a violent demonstration, often involving a spontaneous action by unorganised, 
unaffiliated members of society. They include violent demonstration, mob violence. 
Protests: public demonstration in which the participants do not engage in violence, 
though violence may be used against them. It includes peaceful protests, protests 
with intervention, excessive force against protesters. 
Strategic developments: information regarding the activities of violent groups that 
is not itself recorded as political violence, yet may trigger future events or contribute 
to  political  dynamics  within  and  across  states.  It  includes  agreements,  change  to 
group/activity, non-violent transfer of territory, arrests.6  

For the purpose of this report only the following type of events were included in the analysis: 
battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians. Security incidents numbers 
and associated graphs/maps at country and governorate level are based on a publicly 
available ACLED dataset for Middle East.7  

Additionally, ACLED codes actors involved in security incidents as follows: Actor1 is the 
‘named actor involved in the event’ and Actor2 is the ‘named actor involved in the event, while 
‘[i]n most cases, an event requires two actors, noted in columns ‘ACTOR1’ and ‘ACTOR2’. 
However, event types ‘Explosions/Remote violence’, ‘Riots’, ‘Protests’, and ‘Strategic 
developments’ can include ‘one-sided events’.8 The ACLED coding of Actor1 and Actor2 does 
not necessarily indicate that one is the aggressor (e.g. Actor1) and the other one (e.g. Actor2) 
the target or victim.9 When focusing on the involvement of specific actors within certain 
regions, the drafters based their analysis on all those incidents, where ACLED coded the 
relevant actor either as ‘Actor1’ or as ‘Actor2’. This approach aims to illustrate the general level 
of involvement of the respective actors in the conflict without distinguishing between Actor1 
and Actor2, as these categories, according to ACLED's methodology, do not indicate any 
differentiation in terms of content/semantics. 

Potential limits for COI use of ACLED data include:   

6 ACLED, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) Codebook, 2023, url, pp. 10-20 
7 ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 
8 ACLED, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) Codebook, 2023, url, p. 22 
9 ACLED, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) Codebook, 2023, url, p. 4 

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•  Data primarily come from secondary sources such as media reports. Secondary 

sources used by ACLED are of variable quality, may be politically biased, and may lack 
comprehensiveness. 

•  Certain secondary sources might be overrepresented in ACLED datasets covering 

security incidents in a specific country/province. 

•  Lack of reporting or underreporting for specific countries/provinces can occur.  

•  Geographical precision of security incidents is variable: the provincial capital will 
represent the region if no further precisions are available and may be over-
represented. 

To mitigate these challenges and limitations, ACLED data on security incidents has been 
corroborated/contrasted with information from other sources which were available over the 
reference period. 

Sources on civilian casualties 

The main source on civilian fatalities in Syria used in this report is the Syrian Network of 
Human Rights (SNHR). The Syrian Network of Human Rights (SNHR) is a non-profit human 
rights organisation founded in 2011 which works on documenting human rights violations in 
Syria. SNHR relies on a network of volunteers in each governorate to compile lists of civilian 
fatalities and verify victims’ identities by photo or video and by speaking with family members, 
witnesses, and hospitals. SNHR reports fatalities by gender, age, perpetrator, governorate, 
and other classifications. It only records civilian fatalities – with the exception of the death toll 
among victims who died due to torture, which includes armed combatants and civilians.10 
SNHR provided EUAA with its dataset on civilian fatalities for the period August 2022 – June 
2023. 

Where available, information from other sources documenting civilian casualties in the Syrian 
conflict (Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, the Syrian Human Rights 
Committee, Action on Armed Violence, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Uppsala 
Conflict Data Program) has been included.  

10 For detailed information on SNHR’s methodology see url; SNHR, Extrajudicial Killing Claims the Lives of 1,734 
Civilians in Syria in 2020, Including 99 in December, 1 January 2021, url, p. 4 

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Maps 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 1: Syrian Arab Republic, © United Nations 11  

11 Syria, Map No. 4204 Rev. 3, April 2012, United Nations, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

1. 

General description of the security 
situation  

1.1. 

Overview of conflicts  

Map 2: Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022, © UN 
Geospatial12 

Since a March 2020 ceasefire negotiated between Türkiye and Russia froze the last major 
frontline in Idlib province, the country has de facto been partitioned into four main areas 
controlled by different parties to the conflict: the GoS-controlled area with backing from Russia 
and Iran, the northeast controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed 
by the US, a territory in northern Syria under control of the Syrian National Army (SNA) backed 
by Türkiye and the area in the northwest controlled by the rebel group Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham 

12 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence a s of December 2022, January 2023, url  

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(HTS).13 While the frontlines have remained static, the conflict has changed from large-scale 
military clashes to localised clashes between armed groups and government forces.14  

The UNCOI noted, for the period July until December 2022, an increase in mutual attacks 
between SDF forces on one side and Türkiye and SNA on the other side in the country’s 
north, as well as ongoing instability in the southern governorate of Dar’a, with clashes 
between armed groups as well as attacks on civilians.15 It further reported airstrikes by Russian 
forces on areas held by HTS in the north-west, as well as Israeli airstrikes in several 
governorates.16 In the first half of 2023, ongoing hostilities including airstrikes, ground-based 
strikes and targeted attacks affected the North and Northwest in particular.17 ISIL cells 
continued to be active in the Syrian desert18 as well as in the southern governorate of Dar’a.19 

1.2. 

Political developments  

States from the region such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and 
Bahrain have re-established diplomatic relations with Syria20 and the country was officially 
readmitted to the Arab League at the start of May 2023.21 President Bashar Al-Assad attended 
the Arab League Summit in Jeddah soon after.22 Efforts made by the Gulf states and Jordan to 
normalise ties were reportedly aimed at getting the Syrian government to stem the flow of 
drugs (such as Captagon pills) being trafficked from Syria across the region.23 Multilateral 
efforts for a political solution to the Syrian conflict yielded no results,24 namely the 20th round 
of the Astana talks, a forum bringing together the Syrian government and opposition 
delegations,25 as well as Russia, Iran and Türkiye.26 Meetings of the Syrian Constitutional 
Committee in Geneva under supervision of the UN special envoy to Syria similarly did not 

13 IISS, Syria’s frozen conflict and a wave of earthquake-related diplomacy, April 2023, url; A more detailed 
description of the different armed actors and the conflicts they are involved in is provided by the Rule of Law in 
Armed Conflicts project (RULAC). It distinguishes between non-international armed conflicts and international 
armed conflicts in Syria.  
14 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 272 
15 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 12-13 
16 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 15-16 
17 DW, What's behind the latest Russian airstrikes in Syria?, 2 July 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the 
Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; para. 6-7; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 3   
18 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, January – March 2023, 12 June 
2023, url, p. 1; BBC News, IS truffle picker attacks: At least 26 killed in Syrian desert ambush, 17 April 2023, url  
19 NPA, Three dead including ISIS member in Syria’s Daraa, 9 April 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review 
of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, October – December 2022, 1 May 2023, url, p. 2; Hassan, M., ISIS is back 
in the open in southern Syria, MEI, 29 November 2022, url  
20 VOA, Syria's Readmission to Arab League Just One Step in Long Process, 11 May 2023, url  
21 Reuters, Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalise, 8 May 2023, url  
22 Al Jazeera, Analysis: How important is Syria’s return to the Arab League?, 19 May 2023, url  
23 AP News, A little white pill, Captagon, gives Syria’s Assad a strong tool in winning over Arab states, 9 June 2023, 
url; France 24, War on Captagon key to Syria's return to Arab League, 19 May 2023, url; Al-Monitor, Saudi Arabia 
seizes 8 million Captagon pills as it courts Syria’s Assad to clamp down, 10 May 2023, url  
24 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 6 
25 Jusoor for Studies, Astana 20th round on Syria: What’s new?, 10 July 2023, url 
26 Reuters, Kazakhstan unexpectedly proposes ending Syria talks in Astana, 21 June 2023, url  

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make any progress27 and their latest round scheduled for July 2023 was postponed 
indefinitely.28 

The Bab Al-Hawa border crossing between Türkiye and Idlib governorate remained the only 
access gateway for international humanitarian aid due to the veto power of Russia and China 
in the UN Security Council.29 In January 2023, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 
2672 extending the mandate to deliver aid into north-west Syria via this crossing for six 
months until 10 July 2023.30 Following the failure of the Security Council to reach an 
agreement for further extension after 10 July 2023, a deal was reached with the GoS to keep 
the border crossing open for another six months.31 The GoS further allowed the UN to use the 
additional border crossings Bab Al-Salama and Al-Rai until 13 November 2023 to deliver 
assistance.32 

1.3. 

International involvement 

Further information on involvement of international actors is available in section 1.3 of the 
EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security Situation (September 2022). 

27 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 118 
28 New Arab (The), Syria Constitutional Committee's ninth session delayed, 16 July 2022, url; Syrian Negotiations 
Commission, Ninth Session of Syrian Constitutional Committee Meetings is postponed, 16 July 2022, url  
29 CNN, ‘Secondary disaster’ looms as UN aid finally reaches survivors battling frozen conditions in Syria, 
10 February 2023, url  
30 UN, Adopting Resolution 2672 (2023), Security Council Renews Cross-Border Aid Operations into North-West 
Syria for Six Months, Requests Special Report on Humanitarian Needs, 9 January 2023, url  
31 UN News, UN: Deal reached with Syria to reopen main border crossing from Türkiye, 9 August 2023, url; Al-
Monitor, Syria tells UN it will grant aid access via Bab al-Hawa, 13 July 2023, url  
32 VOA, Syria and UN Agree on Bab al-Hawa Crossing to Opposition Areas, 9 August 2023, url   

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Map 3: Map of Foreign Forces’ Military Sites in Syria mid-2023, © Jusoor for Studies33  

33 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 

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1.3.1 Russia 

As of mid-2023, Russia controlled about 20 military bases and 85 military points in the 
country, scattered across GoS-held territory as well as the Autonomous Administration of 
North and East Syria (AANES) region.34 Important military strongholds are the Hmeymim air 
base in Latakia governorate, from which Russia launched air strikes as well as the naval base 
in Tartous.35 An investigation by Novaya Gazeta into Russian presence in Syria estimated 
Hmeymim to host 20 000 Russian soldiers as well as mercenary fighters. The same source 
referring to a 2018 investigation by the Russian website Newizv estimated the size of Russian 
troops to be around 65 000, a third of them being members of the military police.36 In April 
2023, around 1 200 personnel of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group were stationed in Palmyra 
in eastern Homs to assist GoS troops in fighting ISIL elements.37  

In light of the war in Ukraine, there were reports of Russia reducing the size of its combat 
troops in Syria and redeploying them as well as military equipment such as a missile system to 
Ukraine.38 Two senior Western diplomats and a senior Israeli defence official interviewed by 
the New York Times gave varying estimates regarding the reduction in troop size, between 
1 200 to 1 600 or more.39 Meanwhile, other sources reported that Russian and GoS military 
reinforcements were sent to SDF-controlled areas in northern Aleppo governorate upon 
request of the SDF40 and that Russian forces originally withdrawn and deployed in Ukraine 
had been sent back to Syria, leading to a resurgence of Russian military activity.41 A February 
2023 article summarised Russia’s activities as involving fewer military operations, continued 
undertaking of airstrikes42 as well as joint military exercises with the SAA.43 Furthermore, 
Russia continued to be involved in joint military patrols with Türkiye in northern Syria.44 

34 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
35 Reuters, Syria's Assad would like more Russian bases and troops, 16 March 2023, url; Novaya Gazeta Europe, 
Hmeimim pays no bills, 19 January 2023, url  
36 Novaya Gazeta Europe, Hmeimim pays no bills, 19 January 2023, url 
37 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url 
38 New York Times (The), Russia Shrinks Forces in Syria, a Factor in Israeli Strategy There, 19 October 2022, url; 
Smagin, N., Moscow’s Original “Special Operation”: Why Russia Is Staying in Syria, Carnegie Endowment for 
International Peace, 7 February 2023, url  
39 New York Times (The), Russia Shrinks Forces in Syria, a Factor in Israeli Strategy There, 19 October 2022, url 
40 France 24,  ةيكرتلا تاديدهتلا رارمتسا طسو ماظنلاو داركلأا ةرطيس تحت ايروس يف قطانم ىلإ ةيركسع  تازيزعت لسرت وكسوم [Moscow 
sends military reinforcements to areas under Kurdish and Regime control amid ongoing Turkish threats], 30 
November 2022, url; Kurdistan 24: Syrian government brings reinforcements to frontlines in Manbij: SOHR, 4 July 
2022, url  
41 Boussel, P., US Al-Tanf Military Garrison: The Epicenter of Tumult, EPC, 16 January 2023, url  
42 Airwars continued to monitor the impact of Russian airstrikes and recorded civilian casualties. The continually 
updated tracker is available via the following link: url  
43 Smagin, N., Moscow’s Original “Special Operation”: Why Russia Is Staying in Syria, Carnegie Endowment for 
International Peace, 7 February 2023, url 
44 Syria TV, برعلا نيع يف 138ـلا ةيرودلا رييستب ايسور كراشت ايكرت [Turkey and Russia carry out 138th patrol in Kobane] , 22 
May 2023, url; NPA, Russia, Turkey conduct 129th joint patrol in Syria’s Kobani, 6 March 2023, url; AP News, 
Turkish, Russian forces could ‘expand’ Syria joint patrols, 4 January 2023, url  

20 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

1.3.2 Iran and pro-Iranian militias 

The goal behind Iran’s involvement in the conflict is to help the GoS regain control over the 
entire Syrian territory as well as to establish a land corridor under its influence via which to 
supply the Lebanese Hezbollah with arms.45 Jusoor for Studies in mid-2023 noted an increase 
in Iranian military sites compared to 2022 especially in the south of the country, reaching a 
total of 55 military bases and 515 military points.46 According to a Lebanese military expert, 
there were about 1 800 Iranian military advisers in the country, most of whom were deployed 
with Syrian troops.47 The Iranian presence consisted of the Quds force, a branch of the Islamic 
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as of many affiliated militias.48 Among these 
affiliated militias were local Syrian outfits such as Liwa Al-Baqir made up of members of the 
Baqara tribe49 and Liwa Al-Quds consisting of Palestinian fighters50, as well as foreign militias 
such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Iraqi groups Hezbollah Al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid Al-
Shuhada and Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas51, the Afghan Fatemiyoun (Fatimid) Brigade and the 
Pakistani Zainebiyoun Brigade.52 These pro-Iranian militias were reportedly present along the 
Euphrates, in and around Aleppo city and the wider Damascus area, in the Syrian desert as 
well as in the south of the country,53 together comprising about 40 000 personnel.54 
According to several sources, Iran extended its influence by moving into military positions 
previously vacated by Russian troops redeployed to Ukraine.55 

As indicated in a June 2023 article published by Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) Sentinel, 
the Quds Force was shifting its presence and weapons depots further north in order to avoid 
Israeli missile strikes as well as to be closer to Shiite areas such as Al-Zahraa and Nubl in 
Aleppo countryside and closer to disputed areas in Idlib, Tall Rifaat, Hasaka and Raqqa.56 
Furthermore, small groups of fighters were discreetly moved across the southern 
governorates to be stationed close to the Golan heights.57 Iranian-backed militias launched 
sporadic attacks on US military personnel in the northeast of the country using drone strikes.58 

45 Soufan Center (The), IntelBrief: Implications of Escalating U.S. Clashes with Iran-Backed Forces in Syria, 27 March 
2023, url  
46 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
47 Arab Weekly (The), Israeli strikes on Syria intensify, raise tensions with Iran, 6 April 2023, url  
48 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, p. 3  
49 ORSAM Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Iran-backed militia in Syria: Profiles and Functions, 21 September 
2022, url, p. 7 
50 Al-Ghazi, S., Serving Power: The Role of Loyalist Militias in Securing the Assad Regime, ISPI, 15 September 2022, 
url 
51 ORSAM Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Iran-backed militia in Syria: Profiles and Functions, 21 September 
2022, url, pp. 8-9, 11 
52 ORSAM Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Iran-backed militia in Syria: Profiles and Functions, 21 September 
2022, url, p. 10  
53 Galia, E., The Pro-Iranian Militias in Syria, ITIC, 29 March 2023, url, p. 1  
54 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
p. 20  
55 Azizi, H., Syria’s Militias: Continuity and Change After Regime Survival, ISPI, 22 March 2023, url; Boussel, P., US 
Al-Tanf Military Garrison: The Epicenter of Tumult, EPC, 16 January 2023, url 
56 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, p. 5 
57 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, p. 3 
58 Arab News, US military downs Iranian-made drone in Syria, 15 February 2023, url ; VOA, Iranian-Backed Attacks 
on US Forces in Syria Caused 23 Traumatic Brain Injuries, Pentagon Says, 17 April 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

One such drone strike in March 2023 on a US military base in Hasaka led to a series of 
clashes between US forces and militia linked to the IRGC.59  

1.3.3 Türkiye 

As of mid-2023, Turkish military forces had 12 military bases and 113 military points in Syria,60 
especially in SNA-held territory as well as Idlib in the country’s north and north-west,61 
comprising an estimated 10 000 troops.62 Generally, Türkiye’s policy regarding Syria has 
shifted from wanting to depose Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad to preventing the 
establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Syria and keeping Kurdish armed groups at bay.63 
Meetings between the defence and intelligence chiefs of Türkiye and the GoS suggested a 
rapprochement between both countries. However, the demands of each side remained 
incompatible, such as Damascus insisting on the withdrawal of the Turkish military presence 
and Ankara maintaining relations with the Syrian opposition.64  

Airwars65 continued to monitor Turkish airstrikes in Syria, which, between July 2022 and July 
2023, were carried out in northern Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasaka governorates and lead to 
several civilian deaths each month.66 On 20 November 2022, the Turkish military as part of its 
military operation Claw-Sword carried out a series of drone and airstrikes targeting oil and 
energy infrastructure in SDF-controlled areas.67 The attacks struck densely populated areas, 
displaced residents and, according to a local NGO, killed more than 10 civilians.68 In the course 
of the operation, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan further threatened another 
ground offensive of Turkish military in northeastern Syria and expressed his wish to create a 
’security corridor’ along his country’s southern border.69 The ground offensive was stalled 
because of Russian and US pressure,70 according to a statement by the commander of the 
SDF at the beginning of December 2022.71 

59 Soufan Center (The), IntelBrief: Implications of Escalating U.S. Clashes with Iran-Backed Forces in Syria, 27 March 
2023, url 
60 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
61 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
62 International Crisis Group, Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win , 20 July 2023, url  
63 Halabi, F., The Turkish Elections and the Future of Northwest Syria: Scenarios and Policy Implications, MEI, 2 May 
2023, url, p. 2  
64 Jusoor for Studies, No political prospects for Türkiye - Syrian regime rapprochement talks, April 2023, url; 
Al Jazeera, Assad welcomes new Russian bases in Syria after Putin meeting, 16 March 2023, url  
65 Airwars is a non-profit watchdog organisation that promotes transparency by monitoring and investigating claims 
of civilian harm primarily due to the use of explosive weapons in conflict-affected countries, including Syria. For 
more information see Airwars, Who we are, n.d., url 
66 Airwars, Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria, n.d., url  
67 STJ, Northeastern Syria: Unprecedented Turkish Strikes on Energy Infrastructure, 19 January 2023, url  
68 HRW, Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian Crisis, 7 December 2022, url  
69 BBC News, Turkey will launch Syria ground operation after strikes – Erdogan, 23 November 2022, url  
70 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 305 
71 Newlines Institute, Operation Claw-Sword Exposes Blind Spots in the US’ NE Syria Strategy [Timeline], 7 March 
2023, url 

22 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

In areas in northern Syria under Turkish control, administrative and governance structures 
took shape encompassing education, health, infrastructure and energy services, with 
supervision being carried out by the respective neighbouring Turkish provinces.72  

1.3.4 US-led Coalition against ISIL 

The US forces comprise about 900 personnel deployed to support local partners in 
combatting ISIL in Syria.73 Further aims of the deployment are to foil Russian and Iranian 
ambitions in the region.74 As of mid-2023, US forces had 17 military bases and 13 military 
points in Syria, most of them in the territory under Kurdish administration.75 Outside the SDF-
controlled areas, the US army maintained a garrison at Al-Tanf near the borders of Iraq and 
Jordan,76 housing 100-200 men as well as a small Syrian rebel group.77 The US army 
continued to support the SDF in areas under its control with carrying out raids against 
suspected ISIL elements.78 During the reference period, US troops together with SDF or 
Asayish internal security forces ran joint patrols in northeast Syria.79 In May 2023, it was 
reported that the US-led coalition had started building a new military base in Raqqa 
governorate west of the city of Tabqa.80 In July 2023, military and logistic reinforcements for 
US facilities in Rmelan, Tall Baydar and Al-Shaddadi in Hasaka governorate were sent through 
the Al-Waleed border crossing with Iraq.81 Due to Iranian attacks against US forces, anti-ISIL 
operations had to be intermittently put on hold82 in order to increase force protection and 
reallocate assets to monitor Iranian threats, for example, in March 2023, when one such attack 
killed a US contractor.83 According to a January 2023 report by the Emirates Policy Center,84 
incidents involving Iranian drone strikes as well as US retaliatory attacks regularly occurred in 
the area of the Al-Tanf garrison.85  

72 Halabi, F., The Turkish Elections and the Future of Northwest Syria: Scenarios and Policy Implications, MEI, 2 May 
2023, url, p. 3 
73 Soufan Center (The), IntelBrief: Implications of Escalating U.S. Clashes with Iran-Backed Forces in Syria, 27 March 
2023, url; Washington Post (The), Iran plans to escalate attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, documents show, 1 
June 2023, url 
74 Washington Post (The), Iran plans to escalate attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, documents show, 1 June 2023, 
url 
75 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
76 International Crisis Group, Al-Tanf, Syria, 31 July 2023, url  
77 Boussel, P., US Al-Tanf Military Garrison: The Epicenter of Tumult, EPC, 16 January 2023, url  
78 SNHR, At Least 226 Arbitrary Arrests/Detentions Documented in May, Including Six Children and 11 Women, 
2 June 2023, url, p. 4; ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, May 17, 2023, 19 May 2023, url; ISW 
and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, February 22, 2023, 24 February 2023, url  
79 NPA, US troops conduct patrols in Syria’s Derbasiyah, 9 July 2023, url; Al Jazeera, Turkish deadline for SDF 
withdrawal from northern Syria: Source, 7 December 2022, url; Rudaw, US-led forces resume normal patrols in 
Syria, 2 December 2022, url 
80 New Arab (The), US-led coalition against Islamic State building new base in northern Syria, 24 May 2023, url  
81 MEMO, US army sends military, logistic reinforcements to Syria, 13 July 2023, url  
82 International Crisis Group, Al-Tanf, Syria, 31 July 2023, url 
83 ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, June 28, 2023, 30 June 2023, url  
84 The Emirates Policy Center is an Abu Dhabi-based think tank focussing on the impact of geopolitical 
developments on the United Arab Emirates. See EPC, About us, n.d., url   
85 Boussel, P., US Al-Tanf Military Garrison: The Epicenter of Tumult, EPC, 16 January 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

1.3.5 Israel 

Israel’s military strategy in Syria aims to put an end to Iranian infiltration into the south of Syria 
close to its own borders as well as at preventing Iran from providing Hezbollah with 
sophisticated weapons.86 Jusoor for Studies recorded 11 Israeli airstrikes between August 
2022 and the end of 2022 targeting IRGC and Hezbollah facilities in Rural Damascus, Aleppo, 
Homs and further governorates.87 In February 2023, Syrian state media reported a presumed 
Israeli airstrike on a Damascus residential area resulting in civilian casualties.88 March and April 
2023 saw an increase in suspected Israeli strikes targeting Iranian and Hezbollah military 
infrastructure as well as specific individuals.89 Further airstrikes temporarily stopped 
operations at the country’s two largest airports, in Damascus in January 202390 and Aleppo in 
May91 and August 2023.92 

1.4. 

Armed actors  

1.4.1. 

Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups  

The Syrian armed forces consist of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) (which includes the Republican 
Guard), the Naval Forces, Air Forces, Air Defence Forces and National Defence Forces (NDF, a 
pro-government militia). The Syrian military was further supported by the Russian military, the 
Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).93  

The commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces is the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad,94 
who personally appoints commanders, chiefs and officers off all army units through 
presidential decrees and decisions.95 According to estimated figures provided by the 
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Military Balance of 2023, the Syrian armed 
forces comprised 169 000 active military personnel, 130 000 of whom formed the Syrian Arab 
Army, with its main and best trained fighting groups being the Fourth Division, the Republican 
Guard, the Special Forces (including the former Tiger Forces96) and the Fifth Assault Corps. A 
further estimated 100 000 persons belonged to state-allied paramilitary militia, such as the 
NDF (50 000), foreign militias of Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi origin (50 000), partially receiving 

86 Arab Weekly (The), Israeli strikes on Syria intensify, raise tensions with Iran, 6 April 2023, url 
87 Jusoor for Studies, The Israeli strikes in Syria during 2022, 28 December 2022, url  
88 Germany, BAMF, Briefing Notes, 20 February 2023, url, p. 10 
89 Al-Monitor, Israel shells Hezbollah targets in Syria in latest escalation, 24 April 2023, url; Arab Weekly (The), 
Israeli strikes on Syria intensify, raise tensions with Iran, 6 April 2023, url  
90 DW, Syria says Israeli strike briefly paralyzed Damascus airport, 2 January 2023, url  
91 France 24, Israeli air strikes kill one soldier, put Syria's Aleppo airport out of service, 2 May 2023, url; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 8 
92 AP News, Reported Israeli strike damages Aleppo airport and puts it out of service, 28 August 2023, url 
93 US, CIA, World Factbook, Syria, last updated: 1 August 2023, url  
94 SANA, President al-Assad issues administrative order to end military personnel retention of some soldiers, 17 July 
2023, url; Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units, April 2023, url, p. 5 
95 Omran Center for Strategic Studies, The Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks, 9 
November 2021, url, p. 3 
96 The Tiger Forces in 2019 were renamed to 25th Special Tasks Division, Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces 
and the elite units, April 2023, url, p. 14 

24 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Iranian support. The Lebanese Hezbollah was estimated to have between 7 000 and 8 000 
fighters in the country.97  

Alawites hold the most important positions in the SAA,98 and elite divisions such as the 
Republican Guard and the Fourth Division were reportedly mostly Alawite.99 The Fourth 
Division led by Bashar Al-Assad’s brother Maher reportedly amassed power and influence, 
expanding its military, economic and criminal activities.100 The military core of this division 
consisted of 15 000-20 000 men, deployed throughout the country but mainly present near 
the capital and its western and southwestern peripheries.101 By strategically controlling 
checkpoints situated at international border crossings such as with Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq 
as well as checkpoints leading to rebel-controlled areas, the Fourth Division collected 
revenues by imposing taxes on licit and illicit goods.102 The Fifth Corps was established and is 
backed by Russia.103 Its core brigades are stationed with Russian forces in Hama governorate, 
whereas the brigades deployed in the south are less well trained with its fighting force largely 
consisting of former rebels who reconciled with the government as well as of arrested petty 
criminals.104 

The government-allied Palestinian Al-Quds Brigade (Liwa Al-Quds) has come to dominate the 
Palestinian camps in Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Homs as a political and military force.105 The 
brigade was further deployed in the Syrian desert to fight ISIL elements.106  

Despite controlling about two thirds of the country, the GoS continued to be confronted with a 
low-level insurgency waged by ISIL cells in the central desert.107 ISIL militants temporarily 
managed to capture uninhabited villages from government forces and control valleys (wadis) 
and unsettled lands in the desert region, especially in eastern Homs. The government fought 
back with ground forces mainly consisting of NDF, Al-Quds Brigade and Fourth Division 
fighters as well as limited airstrike support.108 In the south of the country, particularly in Dar’a 
governorate, clashes and targeted killings were reported between GoS forces and armed 
groups.109 There, the GoS forces employed raids, airstrikes and missile attacks to consolidate 

97 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, pp. 354-356  
98 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units, April 2023, url, p. 5; AlMustafa, M., The Syrian 
Regime Signals Legal and Military Shifts to the World, TIMEP, 17 October 2022, url 
99 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units, April 2023, url, p. 12; Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, 
M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, p. 23 
100 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
pp. 3, 7, 18-21 
101 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
pp. 6-7 
102 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
p. 13 
103 ISW and CTP, Iran Update, July 20, 2023, 20 July 2023, url  
104 Waters, G., From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies, MEI, 12 September 2022, url 
105 Al-Ghazi, S., Serving Power: The Role of Loyalist Militias in Securing the Assad Regime, ISPI, 15 September 2022, 
url  
106 New Arab (The), ةيروس  يقرش "شعاد"ـل موجه يف  "سدقلا ءاول" ايشيلم نم ىلتق [Fighters from Al-Quds Brigade killed in ISIL 
attack in eastern Syria], 8 June 2023, url; Al-Ghazi, S., Serving Power: The Role of Loyalist Militias in Securing the 
Assad Regime, ISPI, 15 September 2022, url 
107 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 273  
108 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url 
109 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 23  

25 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

power and force out armed opposition groups.110 They further employed siege tactics, such as 
in the town of Tafas in August 2022, in order to force settlements with local rebels.111 
Meanwhile, the GoS increased its presence in SDF-held areas by sending army 
reinforcements to eastern Aleppo countryside as well as Ain Issa in northern Raqqa, close to 
the frontlines with Turkish-backed armed groups.112  

During the reporting period, GoS forces continued to employ ground-based and aerial attacks 
on populated areas resulting in civilian casualties.113 They were further responsible for 
extrajudicial killings and deaths in detention centres due to torture and medical negligence.114  

1.4.2. 

The Syrian National Army  

The Syrian National Army (SNA) is the umbrella organisation of a loose formation of militias 
backed by Türkiye115 and several Gulf states,116 and consists of former Free Syrian Army (FSA) 
groups, Islamist factions,117 Syrian Arab Army defectors, civilians,118 as well as Syrians who have 
sought refuge in Türkiye.119 The SNA controls two areas adjoining the Turkish border, the first 
covers the northern countryside of Aleppo from Afrin to Jarablus,120 and the second one spans 
from Tall Abyad to Ras al-Ayn, in the north of Raqqa and Hasaka governorates.121 

According to estimated figures provided by the IISS Military Balance of 2023, the SNA 
comprised 70 000 fighters.122 These fighters form more than 40 SNA factions123 and receive 
their salaries from Türkiye,124 but also by Qatar.125 The SNA forces play an essential role in day-
to-day matters in the areas under their control, ‘impacting everything from the security 

110 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 273; Haid, H., Assad’s strategy in southern Syria is 
fated to fail, Arab News, 13 August 2022, url  
111 New Arab (The),  ماظنلا تاوق راصح ببسب "سفط" يعرازمل ةريبك رئاسخ :ةيروس [Syria: Great losses for farmers of Tafas 
because of siege by regime forces], 20 August 2022, url; NPA, Town in Syria’s Daraa subjects to frequent 
operations by government forces, 15 September 2022, url  
112 Rozana Radio, جبنم ىلإ اهتازيزعت لاسرإ لصاوت يروسلا ماظنلا تاوق [Syrian regime forces continue to send 
reinforcements to Manbij], 19 December 2022, url; Syria TV, دسق ةدناسمل  ىسيع  نيع ىلإ ةيركسع تازيزعت لسري يروسلا ماظنلا 
[Syrian regime sends military reinforcements to Ayn Aissa to help the SDF], 21 November 2022, url  
113 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 22  
114 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 16 
115 Arab News, Will Turkiye abandon Syria’s rebels?, 3 February 2023, url 
116 Al Jazeera, Twelve years on from the beginning of Syria’s war, 15 March 2023, url 
117 CEP, Armed Opposition Groups in Northwest Syria, 27 April 2023, url 
118 Al Jazeera, Twelve years on from the beginning of Syria’s war, 15 March 2023, url 
119 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, pp. 5-6 
120 ACAPS, Syria: Assessing increased protection risks and vulnerabilities after the earthquakes, 16 June 2023, url, 
p. 2 
121 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 3; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023 [Map], 10 July 2023, 
url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria - June 2023 [Map], 5 July 2023, url 
122 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 356  
123 HRW, Syria: Turkey-Backed Fighters Kill 4 Kurdish Civilians, 22 March 2023, url; MEMO, Turkiye to restructure 
Syrian rebel military, disband SNA factions after HTS withdraws from Afrin, 26 October 2022, url 
124 CEP, Armed Opposition Groups in Northwest Syria, 27 April 2023, url 
125 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 6 

26 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

situation to real estate sales, business dealings, the work of NGOs, and local governance 
institutions’.126 

Although the SNA formally reports to Hasan Hamade, the head of the Ministry of Defense of 
the oppositional Syrian Interim Government (SIG), it is in fact run by the Turkish intelligence 
service.127 The SNA has several ‘regional operation rooms’, through which Turkish military and 
intelligence officers coordinate SNA activities.128  

The SNA is officially organised in legions with varying numbers of divisions subdivided into 
brigades.129 In August 2022, the Rojava Information Center (RIC)130 published a report on the 
SNA’s structure focussing on 28 of its main militias. According to the report, SNA main 
components are the Al-Hamza Division, the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, the Azm Unified 
Command Room and the National Front for Liberation, the latter two comprising each many 
individual factions and subdivisions.131 Arab as well as Turkmen factions can be found across 
the entire SNA area, with some factions occasionally clustering around certain geographic 
areas.132 Correspondingly, Orwa Ajjoub, senior analyst at the Cyprus-based Center for 
Operational Analysis and Research (COAR), commented in an October 2022 MEI article‚ 
‘[u]nderstanding the SNA — its nature, organization, and the constantly shifting alliances 
between its factions — is a challenging task indeed’.133 

Several sources termed the SNA’s internal conflicts and rivalries a major issue.134 In October 
2022, SNA infighting ‘attracted considerable attention beyond the microcosm of Syria’s armed 
opposition landscape’135 when HTS entered SNA territory and intervened in the infighting by 
supporting one of the fighting factions,136 reportedly leading to the emergence of two new 
alliances: the HTS alliance (comprising the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, Al-Hamzah Division 
and Ahrar al-Sham) and the Third Legion alliance (consisting of the Levant Front, Jaysh al-

126 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 5 
127 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 5; RIC, The SNA Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Turkish Proxy Militias, August 2022, 
url, pp. 10-11 
128 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 5 
129 RIC, The SNA Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Turkish Proxy Militias, August 2022, url, pp. 10-11 
130 The Rojava Information Center (RIC) is a pro-Kurdish volunteer organisation based in northeastern Syria that 
assists reporters and researchers from leading international news organisations with their work. RIC, Who we are, 
n.d., url; TNH, Leaving Syria’s notorious al-Hol camp, civilians find little to go home to, 14 January 2021, url; BBC 
News, Syria war: 'One killed' as US troops clash with government loyalists near Qamishli, 12 February 2020, url  
131 RIC, The SNA Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Turkish Proxy Militias, August 2022, url, p. 12 
132 RIC, The SNA Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Turkish Proxy Militias [Figure], August 2022, url, pp. 10-11 
133 Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url 
134 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 10; Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, 
url; MEMO, Turkiye to restructure Syrian rebel military, disband SNA factions after HTS withdraws from Afrin, 26 
October 2022, url; MEE, Syria: Turkey to reorganise rebel groups as HTS withdraws from Afrin, 25 October 2022, 
url 
135 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
136 MEMO, Turkiye to restructure Syrian rebel military, disband SNA factions after HTS withdraws from Afrin, 26 
October 2022, url; MEE, Syria: Turkey to reorganise rebel groups as HTS withdraws from Afrin, 25 October 2022, 
url 

27 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Islam and the Liberation and Construction Movement).137 In addition, the incident prompted 
Türkiye to move forward with restructuring plans for the SNA that included a centralised 
command structure and a unified force.138 

During the reference period, Amnesty International reported indiscriminate attacks committed 
by the SNA139 and engaged in hostilities with SDF forces resulting in civilian casualties.140 SNA 
forces were further responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances,141 torture, 
including rape, and pillage, ‘all of which may amount to separate war crimes’.142 

1.4.3.  Syrian Democratic Forces  

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are the main military force of the AANES.143 They are a 
coalition of Arab and Kurdish militias as well as tribal groups, among which the Kurdish 
components form the People’s Protection Units (YPG). The YPG are the strongest fighting 
component and constitute the military leadership of the SDF. According to estimated figures 
provided by the IISS Military Balance of 2023, the SDF comprises 50 000 fighters.144 Another 
source put their number at more than 100 000.145 The SDF hold a demographically 
heterogeneous region of about 30 % of the Syrian territory146, comprising most of Hasaka 
governorate as well as areas in Deir Ez-Zor and Raqqa governorates and a small enclave in 
Aleppo countryside.147 The Asayish are the police force of the AANES148 and both SDF and 
Asayish forces have received funding from the US military to train, equip and pay their 
members.149 Due to the threat of Turkish incursions, the SDF further had to negotiate with 
Russia and the GoS, requesting air defence systems from the former150 and accepting SAA 
reinforcements into its territory near the contact lines with Turkish-backed forces in Tall Rifaat 
and Manbij.151  

137 Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url 
138 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url; MEE, Syria: Turkey to reorganise rebel groups as HTS withdraws from Afrin, 25 October 2022, 
url; MEMO, Turkiye to restructure Syrian rebel military, disband SNA factions after HTS withdraws from Afrin, 26 
October 2022, url 
139 AI, Amnesty International Report 2022/23 – Syria, 27 March 2023, url, p. 352 
140 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 105 
141 HRW, Syria: Turkey-Backed Fighters Kill 4 Kurdish Civilians, 22 March 2023, url 
142 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 103 
143 Soz, J., Mazloum Abdi: Turkish Attacks Impact Fight Against ISIS, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 
12 December 2022, url  
144 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 356  
145 Lister, C., There Are 13 Guantanamos in the Syrian Desert, Politico, 27 March 2023, url  
146 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 274 
147 Newlines Institute, Operation Claw-Sword Exposes Blind Spots in the US’ NE Syria Strategy [Map], 7 March 2023, 
url  
148 AI, Amnesty International Report 2022/23 – Syria, 27 March 2023, url, p. 352  
149 HRW, Syria: Repatriations Lag for Foreigners with Alleged ISIS Ties, 15 December 2022, url  
150 Newlines Institute, Operation Claw-Sword Exposes Blind Spots in the US’ NE Syria Strategy, 7 March 2023, url 
151 Rozana Radio, جبنم ىلإ اهتازيزعت لاسرإ لصاوت يروسلا ماظنلا تاوق [Syrian regime forces continue to send 
reinforcements to Manbij], 19 December 2022, url; New Arab (The), جبنمو تعفر لت ىلإ ةيركسع  تازيزعتب عفدي يروسلا ماظنلا 
[The Syrian regime sends military reinforcements to Tall Rifaat and Manbij], 12 June 2022, url  

28 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Throughout the AANES area, SDF continued to be confronted with an insurgency mounted by 
ISIL cells.152 They were supported in their anti-ISIL operations by about 900 US troops who 
assisted in stabilisation efforts and provided aerial surveillance.153 The SDF routinely carried 
out security operations against ISIL cells in territories under their control, which included 
destroying hideouts,154 dismantling recruitment and support networks155 and confiscating 
weapons.156 However, as part of such operations they also reportedly targeted people 
opposed to the SDF, conducting home raids, imposing curfews or partial lockdowns and 
carrying out sweeping arrests, according to Jusoor for Studies.157 Throughout the AANES 
territory, the SDF held about 10 000 ISIL fighters in more than 20 detention facilities, the 
largest of them located in Hasaka city.158 This vast amount of incarcerated ISIL members 
continued to be a source of insecurity. ISIL operatives repeatedly attempted to free fellow 
members, for example by trying to attack the Al-Hol detention facility in Hasaka159 or by 
attacking a prison near Raqqa, killing six SDF and Asayish members.160 In June 2023, the 
AANES announced that it would start trying suspected ISIL fighters who have been in its 
custody for years.161  

Türkiye considers the YPG, the leading component of the SDF, to be an extension of the 
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).162 Turkish forces repeatedly targeted SDF-controlled territory 
with airstrikes, drones and artillery shelling.163 This forced the SDF to temporarily halt 
operations against ISIL and to reassign forces in order to bolster defences against a potential 
Turkish ground offensive.164 In response to a series of Turkish airstrikes in November 2022, 
the SDF shelled the SNA-held city of A’zaz in Aleppo countryside and a nearby Turkish military 
base as well targeting the Turkish border province Kilis with rocket-propelled grenades.165 
Furthermore, there were clashes between the SDF and Turkish-backed SNA militias deployed 

152 ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, May 17, 2023, 19 May 2023, url; US, CRS, Armed Conflict 
in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response, 8 November 2022, url, p. 2 
153 Lister, C., There Are 13 Guantanamos in the Syrian Desert, Politico, 27 March 2023, url 
154 Jusoor for Studies, SDF Lunches wide-scale security operation against opponents in Raqqa, 16 February 2023, 
url; NPA, SDF discovers old ISIS tunnel in Raqqa, 31 January 2023, url; Diyaruna, 'Al-Jazeera Thunderbolt' smashes 
east Syria ISIS cells, 18 January 2023, url  
155 NPA, SDF captures 2 ISIS operatives in Hasakah – Coalition, 2 May 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, SDF Lunches 
wide-scale security operation against opponents in Raqqa, 16 February 2023, url; Diyaruna, 'Al-Jazeera 
Thunderbolt' smashes east Syria ISIS cells, 18 January 2023, url 
156 NPA, SDF arrests ISIS militants in Syria’s Hasakah, 9 April 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, SDF Lunches wide-scale 
security operation against opponents in Raqqa, 16 February 2023, url; Diyaruna, 'Al-Jazeera Thunderbolt' smashes 
east Syria ISIS cells, 18 January 2023, url  
157 Jusoor for Studies, SDF Lunches wide-scale security operation against opponents in Raqqa, 16 February 2023, 
url  
158 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 13 
159 Lister, C., There Are 13 Guantanamos in the Syrian Desert, Politico, 27 March 2023, url 
160 Shafaq News, Six SDF and Asayish members killed in surprise attack by ISIS on military prison in Al-Raqqah, 26 
December 2022, url  
161 Reuters, Syria's Kurds to begin trials for IS detainees, 11 June 2023, url; NPA, AANES trials for foreign ISIS 
members… what is to be expected?, 13 June 2023, url  
162 HRW, Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian Crisis, 7 December 2022, url 
163 Soz, J., Mazloum Abdi: Turkish Attacks Impact Fight Against ISIS, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 
12 December 2022, url; Syria Direct, Days of airstrikes and rumblings of a long-threatened Turkish offensive in 
northern Syria after Istanbul bombing, 25 November 2022, url  
164 Newlines Institute, Operation Claw-Sword Exposes Blind Spots in the US’ NE Syria Strategy, 7 March 2023, url; 
TWI, The SDF Is Caught Between Turkey and the Islamic State Again, 12 October 2022, url  
165 Syria Direct, Days of airstrikes and rumblings of a long-threatened Turkish offensive in northern Syria after 
Istanbul bombing, 25 November 2022, url  

29 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

in the Operation Peace Spring area, a territory captured by Türkiye in a military operation in 
2019.166 In northern Aleppo governorate, the SDF and SNA used rocket and grenade shelling 
across the contact lines as well as IED attacks to target each other’s respective areas of 
control.167 

During the reporting period, the SDF reportedly engaged in extrajudicial killings,168 arbitrary 
arrests and enforced disappearance169 as well as torture in detention centres.170  

1.4.4.  Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham  

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) or the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant171 is an 
Islamist172 anti-GoS armed group173 and was formed in 2017 when Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, an 
offshoot of al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra,174 joined forces with several other hard-line 
groups.175 HTS continued to be listed as a terrorist organisation by many countries,176 including 
the United States,177 Türkiye178 and Russia.179 According to estimates, HTS comprised between 
7 000180 and 10 000 fighters,181 including around 1 000 foreign fighters.182  

 "

ةرزجم

ماظنلاو

اومعق لكل

  ادر ىلع 

 [SNA factions shell SDF and regime points in response to Al-Bab 

166 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 275 
167 See for example New Arab (The), بلح  فير يف "دسق "ـل فصق ءارج "يروسلا ينطولا شيجلا"ـل ىحرجو ىلتق [SNA members 
killed and wounded by SDF shelling in Aleppo countryside], 10 July 2023, url; Syria TV,   فصقت ينطولا  شيجلا لئاصف
 بابلا
 نم "دسق
massacre], 20 August 2022, url  
168 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 59 
169 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 120; SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights 
Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, pp. 60-64  
170 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, pp. 64-
65; SHRC, Two civilians killed under torture in SDF prisons in a week, 5 May 2023, url  
171 USCIRF, Factsheet: Religious Freedom in Syria, November 2022, url, p. 1 
172 BBC News, Crisis upon crisis: Why it's hard to get help to Syria after earthquake, 11 February 2023, url; Germany, 
BAMF, Briefing Notes: Syria – July to December 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 5 
173 HRW, World Report 2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url 
174 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 18; RIC, The SNA Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Turkish Proxy Militias, August 2022, 
url, p. 16 
175 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 357  
176 TNH, Cholera worries grow in Syria’s Idlib, 29 September 2022, url 
177 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 357  
178 BBC News, Crisis upon crisis: Why it's hard to get help to Syria after earthquake, 11 February 2023, url 
179 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
180 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 46  
181 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 357  
182 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 46  

30 

 
 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Under its leader Abu-Muhammad Al-Jawlani,183 HTS exercised military and security control 
within its territory in Idlib governorate, parts of Aleppo’s western countryside and Latakia’s 
countryside as well as the Al-Ghab Plain located northwest of Hama,184 where it established 
the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) with ‘conditional Turkish state assistance’.185 According 
to the UN Security Council, ‘HTS maintained a locally oriented focus and sought to expand its 
presence beyond Idlib’.186 In October 2022, HTS fighters took control of the city of Afrin and 
surrounding areas before a Turkish-brokered truce led to their withdrawal.187 HTS personnel, 
however, reportedly remained in the Afrin area,188 but avoided being publicly visible.189 HTS 
obtained most of its increasing190 income through taxation at border crossings (affecting both 
aid delivery and trade),191 through its monopoly on public services and extortion in the territory 
it controlled.192 

In recent times, Al-Jawlani attempted to publicly distance HTS from al-Qaeda and portray it as 
a legitimate civilian authority,193 which experts believe has created internal tensions.194 Despite 
its legitimisation efforts, HTS reportedly continued to commit serious human rights 
violations.195  

183 USCIRF, Factsheet: Religious Freedom in Syria, November 2022, url, p. 2 
184 Enab Baladi, Shift in religious discourse, will al-Jolani clash with HTS Sharia scholars?, 17 May 2023, url  
185 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
186 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 46  
187 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url; MEE, Syria: HTS militants partially withdraw from Afrin after Turkey steps in, 15 October 2022, 
url 
188 STJ, HTS Scales Up Its Presence in Afrin After the Türkiye/Syria Quake, 3 April 2023, url; Netjes, R., Shifting 
Lines and IDPs: Azaz, Afrin, and the HTS Incursion, TWI, 19 October 2022, url 
189 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, pp. 19-20; Özkizilcik, Ö., How a former al-Qaeda affiliate became an existential threat 
and a wake-up call for the Syrian opposition, Atlantic Council, 14 November 2022, url 
190 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
191 Solomon, C., HTS: Evolution of a Jihadi Group, Wilson Center, 13 July 2022, url 
192 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 46  
193 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
194 Enab Baladi, Shift in religious discourse, will al-Jolani clash with HTS Sharia scholars?, 17 May 2023, url 
195 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 81; USCIRF, Factsheet: Religious Freedom in Syria, November 
2022, url, p. 2  

31 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

1.4.5.  Other anti-government armed groups in the Idlib area  

As of April 2023, the remaining militant groups in the rebel-held Greater Idlib area besides 
HTS were reported196 to be: Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), Ajnad Kavkaz (AK), Katibat al Tawhid 
wal Jihad (KTJ), Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari (KIB), Hurras al-Din (HaD), Jamaat Ansar al-Islam 
(JAI), Junud al-Sham, Ansar al-Tawhid (AaT), Jundallah, Jabhat Ansar al-Din (JaD), Tansiqiyat 
al-Jihad, Liwa al-Muqatileen al-Ansar (LMA).197 

While according to senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) 
Natasha Hall, ‘HTS has essentially defeated or co-opted all its Syrian armed opposition rivals 
in Idlib’,198 others report that the above listed Idlib factions fall under three general categories: 
1) those who operate directly under HTS authority; 2) those who are allied with HTS as part of 
the ‘HTS-led joint operations room, called al-Fatah al-Mubin’199; and 3) those who remain in 
direct opposition to HTS.200 An example of the second category is the Turkistan Islamic Party 
(TIP), the ‘largest remaining foreign jihadist group in Idlib’, consisting mainly of Chinese 
Uighurs,201 while Hurras al-Din (HaD) falls in the third category. Estimates of the Al-Qaida 
affiliated HaD’s capacities varied greatly with some sources referring to 300-500 active 
fighters and others up to 2 000202 or even 2 500 fighters.203 Constant HTS pressure impeded 
the group’s ‘operational capabilities’ and reportedly pushed it further north, closer to the 
Turkish border.204 According to Stanford University research fellow Cole Bunzel, as of 
December 2022, HaD ‘appeared to be defunct’.205 

196 Please note that sources partly diverge on this topic. Other sources indicate that some of the groups listed 
above would no longer exist at all after a severe HTS crackdown. See e.g., on the group Jundallah: Al-Monitor, HTS 
makes rival jihadis in Syria’s Idlib take Sharia courses, give up weapons, 20 November 2021, url 
197 CEP, New CEP Resource: Armed Opposition Groups In Northwest Syria, 27 April 2023, url 
198 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 274 
199 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 6 
200 CEP, Armed Opposition Groups in Northwest Syria, 27 April 2023, url; International Crisis Group, Containing 
Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 6 
201 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 10 
202 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 49  
203 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 357  
204 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 49 
205 Bunzel, C., Explainer: The Jihadi Threat in 2022, Wilson Center, 22 December 2022, url 

32 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

1.4.6. 

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)  

In the reference period, ISIL was reported to ‘remain resilient’206 to be ‘taking advantage of 
political and military developments’ in Syria to regain presence207 but it was also reported that 
its capabilities in Syria ‘remained degraded’.208 ISIL fighters were present in the mountainous 
and hard-to-control Badia desert209 and along the Syrian-Iraqi border, especially in the areas of 
Deir Ez-Zor, Palmyra, Al-Sukhna,210 and also in Al-Qaryatain.211 The group reportedly used 
these regions as operational bases to rebuild cells, train its fighters and carry out attacks 
throughout the region.212 In the reference period, ISIL cells and activities were moreover 
reported in Syria’s south,213 particularly in Dar’a governorate.214  

According to a February 2023 UN Security Council report, there were an estimated 5 000 to 
7 000 ISIL members in Iraq and Syria, about half of whom were reported to be fighters.215 
Statistics on ISIL fighters present in the Syrian desert are, however, not available. According to 
local sources, the group’s ranks also included foreign fighters.216 In Syria’s northeast, about 
10 000 ISIL fighters and around 55 000 persons linked to ISIL (mainly women and children) 
continued to be detained217 in a ‘makeshift detention system’, inside which ISIL reportedly 

206 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 43 
207 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
208 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress April 1 2023 
– June 30, 3 August 2023, url, p. 11 
209 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url 
210 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
211 Al-Ghadhawi, A., ‘Revenge for the Two Sheikhs’: ISIS Renews Itself in the Syrian Desert, New Lines Institute, 8 
August 2022, url; UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council 
Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the 
Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President 
of the Security Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team 
submitted pursuant to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and 
entities], S/2023/95, 13 February 2023, url, para. 44 
212 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url 
213 MEI, We're abandoning Syria and our D-ISIS policy, 5 May 2023, url 
214 Tokmajyan, A., ISIS Resurgence in Daraa: Is the Group Making A Comeback in Syria’s Restive South?, EPC, 9 
December 2022, url; Hassan, M., ISIS is back in the open in southern Syria, MEI, 29 November 2022, url; UN 
Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 44 
215 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 43 
216 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
217 USDOS, The Importance of Detained Fighters and Displaced Persons in Northeast Syria to the Future of ISIS, 20 
October 2022, url; Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 275 

33 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

‘appears to be regrouping’.218 These prisoners posed a constant threat, as ISIL has already 
carried out prison breaks and reportedly intended to continue doing so.219 In August 2023, ISIL 
confirmed the killing of its leader, making him the third ISIL leader killed in less than two 
years.220 

The first quarter of 2023 saw an increase in ISIL activities in Syria. Since 2022, ISIL attacks 
within the Syrian desert have increased, but decreased in northeastern Syria.221 Between 
January and mid-May 2023, ISIL claimed 49 attacks.222 In spring 2023, ISIL reportedly 
launched two separate operations in the Badia region involving more than 100 fighters, 
indicating the group’s coordinating and tactical capacity.223 During the reference period, ISIL 
continued its ‘guerrilla warfare tactics’224 launching hit and run attacks against military forces, 
but also against civilians.225 ISIL operations centered on Deir Ez-Zor and Homs, but also 
reached Hama, Hasaka, and Raqqa governorates.226 The group’s attack zones reportedly 
expanded along both banks of the Euphrates River.227 As reported by NPA in May 2023, Al-
Masrab desert (Deir Ez-Zor governorate) saw semi-daily ISIL assaults.228 ISIL, moreover, 
curtailed SDF control to gain the support of the local population,229 established ad-hoc 
checkpoints,230 engaged in intimidation and extortion practices,231 recruited people living in 
poverty in the Badia region and Deir Ez-Zor, and attacked businesses and assassinated 
community leaders.232  

218 Lister, C., There Are 13 Guantanamos in the Syrian Desert, Politico, 27 March 2023, url 
219 Lister, C., There Are 13 Guantanamos in the Syrian Desert, Politico, 27 March 2023, url; Hall, N., Syria: The Not So 
Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url, p. 274; USDOS, The Importance of Detained Fighters and Displaced Persons in 
Northeast Syria to the Future of ISIS, 20 October 2022, url 
220 WSJ, Islamic State Confirms Top Leader Is Dead, 3 August 2023, url 
221 ISW and CPT, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, April 27, 2023, 28 April 2023, url 
222 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
223 ISW and CPT, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, May 31, 2023, 31 May 2023, url 
224 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 44 
225 New Arab (The), US-led coalition against Islamic State building new base in northern Syria, 24 May 2023, url; 
NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner 
offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url; Al-Ghadhawi, A., ‘Revenge for the Two Sheikhs’: ISIS Renews Itself 
in the Syrian Desert, New Lines Institute, 8 August 2022, url; USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector 
General Report to the United States Congress April 1 2023 – June 30, 3 August 2023, url, p. 12 
226 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant 
to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2023/95, 13 
February 2023, url, para. 44 
227 ISW and CPT, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, June 28, 2023, 30 June 2023, url 
228 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
229 ISW and CPT, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, June 28, 2023, 30 June 2023, url 
230 NPA, People of Syrian Desert fear ISIS’s re-emergence, 15 May 2023, url 
231 Hall, N., Syria: The Not So Frozen Crisis, IEMed, 2022, url; Al-Ghadhawi, A., ‘Revenge for the Two Sheikhs’: ISIS 
Renews Itself in the Syrian Desert, New Lines Institute, 8 August 2022, url, p. 275  
232 Al-Ghadhawi, A., ‘Revenge for the Two Sheikhs’: ISIS Renews Itself in the Syrian Desert, New Lines Institute, 8 
August 2022, url 

34 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

1.5. 

Impact of violence on the civilian population  

1.5.1. 

Tactics and weapons used 

Between August 2022 and May 2023, sources reported continuing hostilities and military 
operations that included air and ground attacks, targeted killings, and attacks with various 
types of IEDs, resulting in civilians being killed and injured.233 This particularly affected the 
north,234 northwest, northeast and south of the country.235 The months of October and 
November 2022 saw an upsurge in military operations and hostilities, according to the report 
by the UN Secretary-General.236  

In its December 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview for the year 2023, UNOCHA indicated 
that there seemed to be a disregard for the obligation ‘to take all feasible precautions to spare 
civilians’ when carrying out attacks. Compliance with the ‘prohibition on direct attacks against 
civilians and indiscriminate attacks under international humanitarian law’ was called into 
question.237 During the reference period, indiscriminate attacks such as bombing and shelling 
resulting in civilian casualties were reported along the borders of the different areas of 
control.238  

In its report on the human rights situation in Syria, the USDOS indicated that (pro-)GoS forces 
targeted civilians in hospitals, residential areas, schools, and IDP settlements throughout 
2022. These forces reportedly employed the ‘deliberate killing of civilians, as well as their 
forced displacement, rape, and starvation, and protracted siege-like conditions that 
occasionally forced local surrenders’ as military tactics.239 During the reference period, siege-
like conditions imposed by the GoS were reported in Al-Rukban IDP Camp, which shelters 
between 7 500 and 10 000 IDPs in eastern Homs governorate240 and in the SDF-controlled 

233 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 3; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 6; UN Security Council, Report of 
the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 4; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 3; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3; International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 
2023, n.d., url 
234 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 6; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 4 
235 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 3; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3 
236 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 3 
237 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, pp. 19-20 
238 OHCHR, Don't look away: Syrian civilians face the prospect of a new escalation, 14 September 2022, url; Al 
Jazeera, At least nine killed in Russian air strikes in Syria’s Idlib, 25 June 2023, url; VOA, UN Rights Officials 
Condemn Syrian Attacks, 9 November 2022, url; Al Jazeera, Civilians killed in northern Syria marketplace missile 
attack, 19 August 2022, url;  
239 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 31 
240 SNHR, Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in January 2023, 4 February 2023, url, pp. 6-7; New Arab 
(The), Aid organization ‘breaks siege’ on Syria al-Rukban IDP camp, 20 June 2023, url  

35 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

neighbourhoods of Al-Ashrafiya and Al-Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo city, as well as in the Al-
Shahba area, which includes the Tall Rifaat region241 in northern Aleppo242.  

In its annual report for 2022, SNHR described attacks by GoS forces on medical personnel, 
equipment and facilities as ‘calculated tactics’ since the start of the conflict and mentioned 
that 2022 saw a decrease in GoS attacks on such targets in areas controlled by other conflict 
parties. However, according to the report, the GoS continued to arrest, detain, or forcibly 
disappear medical personnel in their own areas.243 For more detailed information on targeted 
groups, please see the EUAA COI report: Syria - Country focus (October 2023); for further 
information on damage of (medical) infrastructure, please see section 1.5.4. 

Along the contact lines in the northwestern Syrian Arab Republic, non-state armed groups and 
government and pro-government forces reportedly continued to exchange mutual fire and 
shelling.244 They alsoengaged in limited clashes, including attacks on civilian targets245 
resulting in civilian casualties246 between August 2022 and May 2023.247 In his report covering 
August and September 2022, the UN Secretary-General also mentioned kidnappings, IED 
attacks, targeted killings, shelling and limited clashes in Syria’s south-west.248 In November 
2022, the use of banned cluster munitions was reported in western and southern rural Idlib, 
affecting three249 or four IDP camps and killing eight civilians and injuring at least 75 others.250  

According to a December 2022 report by the Washington D.C.-based think tank New Lines 
Institute for Strategy and Policy, bomb attacks are a ‘major security challenge’ in SNA-
controlled areas, with many resulting in civilian casualties. These attacks are mostly 
perpetrated by YPG networks loyal to the PKK, with some of the IEDs being smuggled into the 
area via routes controlled by the SNA.251 

ISIL’s strategy was reported to have shifted since it lost ground in most parts of Syria in 2019, 
with the group resorting to tactics that included surprise hit-and-run attacks252 targeting sites 
held by GoS forces but also killing civilians.253 Between August 2022 and May 2023, ISIL 

241 VOA, Syrian Kurd Who Lost Hand in IS Battle Finds Passion for the Drums, 26 July 2019, url 
242 Kurdistan 24, Damascus continues to put a siege on Kurds in northern Aleppo, 29 April 2023, url; AI, Syria: Vital 
earthquake aid blocked or diverted in Aleppo’s desperate hour of need, 6 March 2023, url; Arab News, How one 
Aleppo neighborhood continues to defy siege of Syria’s Assad, 24 January 2023, url; SNHR, Most Notable Human 
Rights Violations in Syria in January 2023, 4 February 2023, url, p. 3 
243 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 33 
244 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
245 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 4; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 4 
246 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 7 
247 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 4; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 7; UN Security Council, Report of 
the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 5; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 4; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 4 
248 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6 
249 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 4 
250 HRW, Syria: Cluster Munitions Used in November 6 Attacks, 23 November 2022, url 
251 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 10 
252 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 89 
253 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 89; 
International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 

36 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

reportedly carried out attacks, including abductions and killings,254 on civilians in several areas 
of the country,255 among them Deir Ez-Zor, Hasaka, Hama,256 Dar'a,257 and rural Homs.258 

An April 2023, an Insecurity Insight259 publication mentioned that conflict parties intentionally 
torched farmland260 ‘as a tactic to target and control civilians and farmers by destroying 
livelihoods in local communities’ and stressed the urgent need to ‘examine the consequences 
of military tactics’ with regard to how they affect food security.261 In the reference period, 
conflict incidents that negatively affected access to agricultural land or agricultural equipment 
were reported for the period between July and December 2022, for example, in Idlib262 and 
Dar’a governorates.263 In June 2023, Turkish ground bombardment in northern Raqqa 
governorate reportedly caused the burning of farmland.264 

In January 2023, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) 
concluded that ‘there are reasonable grounds to believe’ that GoS Air Forces carried out the 
April 2018 chemical weapons attack in Douma.265 

1.5.2.  Security incidents 

EUAA used the publicly available ACLED dataset for Middle East (4 August 2023) for security 
incidents figures, graphs and maps.266 According to the aforementioned ACLED dataset,267 
between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023 there were 9 689 security incidents recorded in 
Syria: 2 182 were coded as battles, 5 681 as explosions/remote violence, and 1 826 as 
violence against civilians. Most security incidents were recorded in Aleppo (2 735), Idlib (1 837) 

254 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 9 
255 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 9; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 7; UN Security Council, Report 
of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7; UN Security Council, Report of the 
Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 5 
256 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 5 
257 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7 
258 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 9; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 5 
259 Insecurity Insight is a Swiss-based non-governmental, non-profit, politically independent organisation dedicated 
to supporting civil society and the aid sector. Insecurity Insight, Mission and Vision Statement, n.d., url, p. 1 
260 For more in-depth information on this tactic being used by ISIL in recent years, please see Jaafar, H. et al., 
Scorched earth tactics of the “Islamic State” after its loss of territory: intentional burning of farmland in Iraq and 
Syria, 1 October 2022, url 
261 Insecurity Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access - April 2023, 
19 April 2023, url, pp. 3, 20 
262 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 27 
263 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 45 
264 SOHR, SDF-held areas in June 2023 | Nearly 60 fatalities in acts of violence…deteriorating security 
situation…nearly 30 infightings and murder crimes…19 protests against deteriorating living conditions, 5 July 2023, 
url 
265 OPCW, OPCW Releases Third Report by Investigation and Identification Team, 27 January 2023, url 
266 ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url  
267 ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 

37 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

and Hasaka (1 104) governorates. The lowest security incidents figures were recorded in 
Quneitra (49), Damascus (36) and Tartous (6) governorates.268  

Figure 1: Evolution of security events coded ‘battles’, ‘explosions/remote violence’ and 
‘violence against civilians’ between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023269 

In addition to the above-presented ACLED data on security incidents, also other sources 
provide records of security-related incidents. Here, however, the reporting periods do not 
exactly correspond with the reference period of this report. Moreover, the definitions of such 
events differ across various sources. For more details, please see the explanatory footnotes in 
the following sections. 

For 2022, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) recorded 940 incidents of state-based 
violence,270 612 incidents of non-state violence271 and 86 incidents of one-sided272 violence.273 

(a)  Battles 

Battles (armed clashes) is the category with the second most registered security incidents. 
During the reference period, there were 2 182 battles recorded by ACLED. Most of them were 
recorded in the governorates of Deir Ez-Zor (588), Aleppo (551), and Dar’a (247). The lowest 
numbers of battles were recorded in Tartous (1), Damascus (11), and Quneitra (16).274 

(b)  Explosions/remote violence 

Explosions/remote violence, which includes explosive devices, artillery fire and air strikes, is by 
far the category with the highest number of individual incidents, with 5 681 incidents recorded 
by ACLED between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. The largest number of explosions/remote 
violence  was  registered  in  Aleppo  (1 717),  followed  by  Idlib  (1 569)  and  Hasaka  (686) 

268 EUAA analysis based on ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 
269 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
270 UCDP defines ‘state-based violence’ as ‘violence between two organized actors of which at least one is the 
government of a state’. UCDP, UCDP Methodology, 21 April 2023, url  
271 UCDP defines ‘non-state violence’ as ‘violence between actors of which neither party is the government of a 
state’. UCDP, UCDP Methodology, 21 April 2023, url 
272 UCDP defines ‘one-sided violence’ as ‘[t]he deliberate use of armed force by the government of a state or by a 
formally organised group against civilians which results in at least 25 deaths in a year.’ UCDP, UCDP Definitions, 
n.d., url 
273 UCDP, Syria [dashboard], as of 27 June 2023, url 
274 EUAA analysis based on ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 

38 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

governorates. The lowest number of explosions/remote violence were documented in Tartous 
(3), Damascus (8) and Sweida (20).275 

For the period between 1 August 2022 and 24 August 2023, Airwars listed 194 airstrike 
incidents with civilian harm allegations in Syria, including one incident in which civilian harm 
allegations were classified as ‘confirmed’ and 97 incidents with allegations classified as ‘fair’. 
The 177 attacks were attributed to the following conflict parties: Russian military (78 incidents), 
Turkish military (75 incidents), Israeli military (8 incidents), US-led coalition (10 incidents), US 
forces (2 incidents), Iranian military (2 incident); 17 incidents remained unattributed as of 
August 2023.276 In September 2022, UN Commissioner Lynn Welchman277 described ongoing 
operations by the above forces, specifically mentioning Russian airstrikes in support of the 
Syrian government in which civilians were injured and killed278 and which reportedly targeted 
food and water sources (for further information on infrastructure damage, please see section 
1.5.4).279 In December 2022, Human Rights Watch highlighted the negative impact of late 
November Turkish airstrikes on the infrastructure and residents of densely populated areas in 
northeast Syria.280 According to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV),281 in 2022, the number of 
airstrikes increased to 129282 from 104 in 2021.283 

For 2022, AOAV recorded a decrease in incidents of explosive violence284 in the country, 
declining from 709 in 2021 to 652 in 2022. Both ground-based as well as IED attacks fell from 
334 to 303 and from 203 to 149, respectively. According to AOAV, state actors were 
responsible for 54 % of the recorded explosive violence incidents in 2022, non-state actors for 
35 %.285 

(c)  Violence against civilians 

The third largest category of incidents is violence against civilians with 1 826 incidents 
recorded by ACLED between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. Most incidents during the year 
were recorded in Aleppo (467), Dar’a (344) and Deir Ez-Zor (270) governorates. The lowest 
number of incidents were recorded in Tartous (2), Latakia (4) and Quneitra (9) governorates.286 

275 EUAA analysis based on ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 
276 Airwars, Syria: Incidents with Civilian Harm Allegations: Aug 1 2022-Jul 31 2023, n.d., url  
277 Lynn Welchman is a member of ‘the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic established by the Council in August 2011 to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights 
law committed in the country since March 2011’. OHCHR, Human Rights Council President appoints Lynn Welchman 
of the United Kingdom to serve on Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 1 December 2021, url 
278 For a recent example from June 2023, please see Al Jazeera, At least nine killed in Russian air strikes in Syria’s 
Idlib, 25 June 2023, url 
279 OHCHR, Don't look away: Syrian civilians face the prospect of a new escalation, 14 September 2022, url 
280 HRW, Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian Crisis, 7 December 2022, url 
281 AOAV is a research and advocacy organisation that records incidents and resulting casualties caused by 
explosive weapons at the global level. For more information about AOAV see AOAV, What do we do to address the 
impact of weapons?, n.d., url 
282 Please note that in comparison to that, Airwars documented 226 airstrike incidents in 2022. Airwars, Syria: 
Incidents with Civilian Harm Allegations: Jan 1 2022-Dec 31 2022, n.d., url 
283 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 20 
284 AOAV uses a RSS reader to scan Google News for key terms which relate to explosive weapons use such as: air 
strike, artillery, bomb, bombing, cluster bomb, cluster munitions, explosion, explosive, grenade, IED, mine, missile, 
mortar, rocket, shell. AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 44 
285 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 20 
286 EUAA analysis based on ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), url 

39 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

1.5.3.  Civilian fatalities 

According to a May 2023 OHCHR publication, over the last decade, an average of 84 civilians 
have been killed each day as a direct consequence of the Syrian war. By 2022, a total of 
306 887 civilians are estimated to have been killed since the beginning of the armed 
conflict.287  

In May 2023, the UN Secretary-General mentioned a decrease in civilian casualties by 38 % in 
2022 compared to 2021 in Syria.288 In its explosive violence monitor for 2022, AOAV states 
that the ‘continuing downward trend in numbers of civilian casualties raises hopes that the 
conflict, […], will have a reduced impact on civilians’. However, at the same time, AOAV 
acknowledged that its data might be affected by a decline in media attention to and coverage 
of the Syrian conflict.289 

OHCHR documented 1 874 civilian casualties in 2021 (747 civilian deaths and 1 127 civilians 
injured),290 a 11 % decrease from 2020 when it recorded 2 095 civilian casualties (1 036 civilian 
deaths and 1 059 civilians injured).291 For the period between August 2022 and May 2023, 
OHCHR documented 311 civilian deaths and 256 civilians injured as a result of armed conflict 
in Syria.292 

In 2022, SNHR recorded 1 271 civilian fatalities,293 a drop by 17 % compared to 2021 and by 
39 % compared to 2020.294 Other organisations documenting civilian casualties in Syria had 
comparable figures for 2022. The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) recorded 1 133 
civilian fatalities in 2022, although it did not provide information on their research 
methodology.295 For 2022, the UCDP recorded 1 638 deaths (civilians and combatants296).297 

The SNHR provides a breakdown of civilian fatalities by the governorate in which they 
occurred (see Figure 2). Most civilian fatalities in 2022 were recorded by the SNHR in the 
governorates of Aleppo, Dar’a, Idlib and Deir Ez-Zor. The lowest number of civilian fatalities 

287 OHCHR, Behind the data: Recording civilian casualties in Syria, 11 May 2023, url 
288 UN Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 6 
289 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 21 
290 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Syrian Arab Republic, 22 February 2022, url, p. 14 
291 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Syrian Arab Republic, March 2021, url, p. 12. Figures provided by 
OHCHR to UNOCHA. OHCHR provided the following disclaimer: ‘Civilian casualties and incidents included are not 
comprehensive but rather reflect what OHCHR could verify to reflect human rights concerns, patterns and the 
impact of the armed conflict and violence on civilians in Syria. Actual civilian casualties could be higher’. See p. 100.  
292 Figures based on total number of civilian injured reported by OHCHR to the UN Security Council between 1 
August 2022 and 26 May 2023. UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 
2022, url, para. 23; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, 
para.20; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para.26; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.26; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para.23 
293 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 7 
294 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 7. For the year 2020 SNHR documented 1734 civilian fatalities in Syria. See EUAA, COI Report: 
Syria - Security situation, July 2021, url, p. 55 
295 SHRC, The 21st Annual Report on Human Rights in Syria 2022, January 2023, url, p. 6 
296 UCDP codes both civilians and combatants fatalities as battle related deaths. See url 
297 UCDP, Syria [dashboard], as of 27 June 2023, url 

40 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

recorded in 2022 by SNHR were in Latakia (4) Damascus (3) and Quneitra (1) governorates. In 
the first seven months of 2023, SNHR documented 574 civilian deaths across Syria, most of 
which were recorded in Dar’a and Deir Ez-Zor governorates. During the same period, no 
civilian fatalities were documented in Tartous and Quneitra governorates.298 

During the reporting period (August 2022 and July 2023), the SNHR included in its civilian 
fatalities total the death of 125 civilians who drowned while on migration routes to Europe. 
These deaths were documented in September 2022 (62) and June 2023 (63 civilian fatalities) 
and were recorded under their governorates of origin: Tartous (60), Dar’a (48), Aleppo (15), 
and Latakia (2).299  

Civilian 
fatalities by 
governorate 

SNHR 
2021300 

SNHR 
2022301 

SNHR 
2023302 

Damascus 

1 

3 

Rural Damascus 

13 

80303 

Idlib 

245 

Deir Ez-Zor 

197 

147 

125 

2 

11 

43 

119 

Aleppo 

231 

224 

79 

Dar’a 

204 

207 

149 

298 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 7 
299 EUAA email correspondence with SNHR, 4, 7 and 31 July 2023 
300 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
301 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
302 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
303 Out of the 80 civilian fatalities documented in 2022 in Rural Damascus, SNHR included the death of 54 persons 
for whom the GoS released death notifications in February 2022, although they were arrested in previous years 
and died in custody. Most of them were originally from Deir al-Asafir town. See SNHR, 161 Civilians, Including 28 
Children, Six Women and 66 Victims Due to Torture, Documented Killed in Syria in February 2022, 1 March 2022, 
url, p. 5 

41 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Civilian 
fatalities by 
governorate 

SNHR 
2021300 

SNHR 
2022301 

SNHR 
2023302 

Hama 

Homs 

88 

28 

Hasaka 

154 

Raqqa 

Quneitra 

Sweida 

Latakia 

Tartous 

84 

10 

13 

2 

- 

36 

37 

74 

27 

1 

32 

4 

60 

61 

55 

28 

12 

- 

12 

3 

- 

Total 

1271 

1057 

574 

Figure 2. Civilian fatalities in 2021, 2022 and the first seven months of 2023. Monthly 
breakdown based on SNHR data304  

Civilian casualty figures caused by explosive violence decreased from 2 016 in 2021 to 1 304 
(340 killed and 964 injured) in 2022. Civilian casualties resulting from ground-launched 
weapons and IEDs dropped from 1 176 to 702 and from 516 in 2021 to 152 in 2022, 
respectively.305 For 2022, SNHR documented 128 (50 men, 9 women, 69 children) civilian 
deaths caused by landmines; for the period between January and April 2023, SNHR 
documented 53 (33 men, 3 women, 17 children) civilian deaths.306 Between August 2022 and 
January 2023, SNHR listed nine ‘notable incidents of landmine explosions that resulted in 

304 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11; SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to 
Torture, Were Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10; Monthly civilian fatalities figures for 
August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, Including 16 Children, Four Woman, 
and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
305 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 20 
306 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 19 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

causalities’307 killing in total 17 civilians, including 9 children.308 In terms of civilian deaths 
caused by cluster munitions remnants, SNHR recorded 14 deaths (including 8 children) in 
2022.309 An April 2023 news article mentioned that since the beginning of 2023 ‘hundreds of 
civilians have been killed or injured as a result of explosions of mines and ordnance across 
Syria’.310  

The number of civilian casualties due to airstrikes increased from 214 in 2021 to 297 in 2022. 
According to AOAV’s explosive violence monitor, in 2022, Türkiye was responsible for 25 % 
(330) of civilian casualties, followed by Syria (324), Russia (82), unknown state actors (53) and 
Israel (37).311 In terms of non-state actors, in 2022, ISIL caused 66 civilian casualties (compared 
to 80 in 2021) and SDF 43 (compared to 16 in 2021), according to AOAV.312 

1.5.4.  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants 

of war 

For the period between August 2022 and May 2023, the UN Security Council indicated that 
military operations and hostilities have taken a toll on civilian property and further worsened 
access to basic services and livelihoods.313 In the reference period, the conflict was reported 
to have directly resulted in the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure, including schools, 
health facilities,314 markets, IDP settlements and farms.315 In the context of indiscriminate 
attacks on civilian infrastructure in the north, the GoS and Russian forces were particularly 
mentioned.316 

Schools in Syria were not a safe place to learn. They were destroyed, damaged or used for 
military or other purposes.317 This reportedly affected one in three schools in the country.318 
Damage to health facilities was reported at least 11 times, negatively affecting health care 
access.319 

The conflict heavily impacted electricity service delivery and caused a shortage of fuel. Many 
cities were experiencing recurrent power outages, which sometimes lasted up to 15 hours per 

307 Please note that SNHR does not specify on which grounds these examples were selected. 
308 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, pp. 26-27 
309 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 22 
310 New Arab (The), Eight dead in attacks, mine explosions across Syria, 12 April 2023, url 
311 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, pp. 20-21 
312 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 21 
313 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 3; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 6; UN Security Council, Report of 
the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 4; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 3; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3 
314 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 19 
315 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 2 
316 HRW, World Report 2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url; USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights 
Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 2 
317 World Bank, Syria - Joint Damage Assessment of Selected Cities, December 2022, url, p. 101; HRW, World Report 
2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url 
318 HRW, World Report 2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url 
319 Insecurity Insight, Syria – Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2022, May 2023, url, p. 3 

43 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

day.320 Damage and destruction of water infrastructure and facilities, as well as the lack of 
electricity upon which many water pumps rely,321 posed a serious humanitarian and health 
concern and have added to the scarcity of water for agriculture.322 Between 2017 and 2022, 
101 violent acts impacting water infrastructure were recorded, mostly in Raqqa, Deir Ez-Zor, 
and Idlib governorates. Many of these attacks were likely carried out by conflict parties ‘as a 
deliberate strategy to enhance their control over target populations and territories’.323 

In 2022, Syria, where an estimated one in three communities faced explosive ordnance 
contamination,324 was the country with the highest number of civilian casualties caused by 
mines, IEDs and ERWs.325 Explosive contamination was reported to be a ‘leading source’ of 
child death and maiming,326 as well as a significant security concern and impediment to the 
delivery of humanitarian aid.327 Unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination was identified 
most often on ‘agricultural land, roads and private property, followed by schools, other public 
infrastructure and hospitals’ and particularly affected the governorates of Idlib, Homs, Hama, 
Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ez-Zor, Hasaka, Damascus, Quneitra and Dar’a.328 

As reported at the end of 2022, the ‘actual scale and scope’ of the explosive contamination is 
not known.329 However, as of March 2022, the Mine Advisory Group (MAG) had registered 
‘approximately 64.92km2 of mined area across a total of 830 suspected hazardous areas 
(SHAs) and confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs)’ in northeast Syria alone330 and ‘241,900m2 of 
(cluster munition remnants  CMR) contamination across two suspected hazardous areas 
(SHAs) and three confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs)’ in the governorates of Hasaka and 
Raqqa.331   

1.5.5.  Displacement and return 

UNHCR estimated that the conflict had driven some 5.2 million Syrian refugees out of the 
country by June 2023.332 As of May 2023, the total number of IDPs in Syria was 6.8 million, 333 
making the country home to the highest number of IDPs in the world.334 Of these 6.8 million, 

320 World Bank, Syria - Joint Damage Assessment of Selected Cities, December 2022, url, p. 68 
321 World Bank, Syria - Joint Damage Assessment of Selected Cities, December 2022, url, p. 73 
322 Insecurity Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access - April 2023, 
19 April 2023, url, p. 3 
323 Insecurity Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access - April 2023, 
19 April 2023, url, pp. 14-15 
324 UN Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 12; UNOCHA, 
2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 81 
325 UN Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 11 
326 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 18 
327 UNMAS, Annual Report 2022, 5 April 2023, url, p. 105; UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian 
Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
328 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
329 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 82 
330 Mine Action Review, Clearing the Mines 2022, Syria [source: email from Fabrice Martin, Country Director - Mine 
Advisory Group, 9 March 2022], 1 October 2022, url, p. 491 
331 Mine Action Review, Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2022, Syria [source: email from Fabrice Martin, Country 
Director – Mine Advisory Group, 9 March 2022], 1 August 2022, url, p. 198 
332 UNHCR, Syria Regional Refugee Response, last updated 8 June 2023, url 
333 UN Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 31 
334 UN Security Council, Humanitarian needs in the Syrian Arab Republic, S/2023/419, 9 June 2023, url, para. 3; UN 
Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 31 

44 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

80% had been displaced for more than five years.335 In 2022, violence and instability remained 
the main driver of displacement.336  

SNHR estimated that, in 2022, military operations by various conflict parties displaced 
approximately 75 000 civilians, including 11 000 civilians being displaced due to operations by 
Syrian-Russian alliance forces.337 Conflict-related displacement was reported, for example, for 
the city of Tafas (Dar'a governorate), where GoS bombings and clashes led to mass 
displacement in August 2022,338 or for Aleppo governorate, where about 13 000 people were 
displaced by a HTS offensive in October 2022 which directly affected 12 IDP camps.339 

In 2022, a total of about 200 100 IDP movements were recorded by UNOCHA across Syria, of 
which 75 % were movements within governorates. Most IDP movements took place in the 
governorate of Idlib (13 000 from the governorate, 105 000 within the governorate and 18 000 
to the governorate), followed by Aleppo (18 000 from the governorate, 26 000 within the 
governorate and 15 000 to the governorate).340 For more detailed information on IDP figures in 
each governorate, please see section 2. Governorate-level description of the security situation 
and Map 4 below: 

UNOCHA provides a full breakdown of the total IDP movements by governorate for 2022 (see 
Map 4): 

335 UN Security Council, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2023/345, 12 May 2023, url, para. 31 
336 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 65 
337 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 11 
338 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 84 
339 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 86 
340 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Map 4. IDP movements by governorate in 2022, © UNOCHA341 

Between January and May 2023, UNOCHA documented 137 612 IDP movements across 
Syria,342 with a significant peak (105 086 IDPs) in February due to the earthquake.343 

According to a March 2023 publication, nearly 2.1 million IDPs were living in so-called ‘last 
resort’ sites in north-western and north-eastern Syria.344 As of April 2023, UNOCHA reported 
2.9 million IDPs in Syria’s north-west, 345 of which 1.9 million were living in camps.346 Around 
80 % of the IDPs were women and children, around 85 % were living in ‘overcrowded camps 
and unplanned locations with dilapidated and unsafe shelters, which pose safety and 
protection risks’.347 

In terms of IDP spontaneous returns in 2022, UNOCHA recorded a total of 115 500 
spontaneous returns, 68 % of which were returns within governorates. The highest number of 

341 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (as of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
342 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
343 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url 
344 Care, 12 years on: Challenges caused by the Syrian conflict show no signs of abating, 15 March 2023, url 
345 UNOCHA, North-west Syria: Situation report, las updated 28 April 2023, url  
346 UN Security Council, Humanitarian needs in the Syrian Arab Republic, S/2023/419, 9 June 2023, url, para. 36; 
UNOCHA, North-west Syria: Situation report, las updated 28 April 2023, url  
347 UN Security Council, Humanitarian needs in the Syrian Arab Republic, S/2023/419, 9 June 2023, url, para. 36 

46 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

IDP return movements were recorded in the governorates of Idlib (1 000 from the governorate, 
28 000 within the governorate and 11 000 to the governorate), followed by Rural Damascus 
(7 000 from the governorate, 24 000 within the governorate and 6 000 to the governorate).348 
For more detailed information on return figures in each governorate, please see section 
2. Governorate-level description of the security situation. 

UNOCHA provides a full breakdown of the total IDP spontaneous returnee movements by 
governorate for 2022 (see Map 5): 

Map 5. Spontaneous IDP returnee movements by governorate in 2022, © UNOCHA349 

Between January and May 2023, UNOCHA documented 42 704 spontaneous IDP return 
movements across Syria,350 with a significant peak (18 128 spontaneous IDP return 
movements) in February due to the earthquake.351 

348 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (as of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url 
349 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (as of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url 
350 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 
351 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Regarding the above-mentioned return movements to the governorates of Idlib and Rural 
Damascus, ‘a mixture of push and pull factors related to changes in the security and economic 
situation in the place of origin and/or area of displacement’ was cited as the main reason. 72 % 
of returnee households interviewed during a Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (conducted 
between July and August 2022)352 indicated that their primary reason for returning in 2022 
was to ‘reclaim assets and properties at the place of origin’, followed by security situations 
improvements in the place of origin and/or a deterioration in the economic situation in their 
place of displacement.353  

In general, IDPs' explicit intention for return continued to be low.354 The GoS was reported to 
not facilitate the secure and dignified voluntary return, resettlement or local integration of 
IDPs. In some cases, IDPs were denied the opportunity to return home; in others, IDPs were 
arrested upon their return in GoS-controlled areas.355  

352 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 10 
353 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 55 
354 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 55 
355 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 65 

48 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2.  Governorate-level description of the 

security situation 

2.1. 

Idlib governorate  

Map 6: © MapAction, Idlib governorate356 

356 MapAction, Idleb governorate, 29 July 2016, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.1.1.  General description of the governorate  

Idlib is  located  in north-west Syria,  bordering  Türkiye  to  the north, Hama  governorate  to  the 
south, Aleppo governorate to the east, and Latakia governorate to the west. The governorate 
is divided into five districts: Idlib, Ariha, Jisr-Ash-Shughur, Harim and Al Mara.357  

Idlib  city  is  the  capital  of  the  governorate  and  in  2011  had  a  population  of  over  2 million 
inhabitants.  The  city  is  located  on  the  strategic  road  between  Aleppo  and  Damascus 
governorates.358  From 2014  to 10  July 2023, the Bab  Al-Hawa crossing with Türkiye was  the 
only UN authorised border crossing in Syria open to cross-border humanitarian aid destined for 
areas controlled by anti-GoS armed groups in north-west Syria.359 However, UN Security Council 
authorisation to use Bab Al-Hawa lapsed 10 July 2023, and at the time of writing had not been 
renewed. For further information on the humanitarian importance and status of the Bab Al-Hawa 
crossing, see section 1.2. 

According to 2022 estimates by UNOCHA, the population of Idlib governorate was 2 927 392 
inhabitants,  of  whom  1  899  350  were  IDPs.360  Population  estimates  vary  greatly  due  to  the 
majority of IDPs in the governorate and regular IDP movements (see section 2.1.3(h) below). For 
more information on the ethno-religious composition of Idlib’s population, see the EUAA COI 
Report Syria – Security situation (July 2021). 

2.1.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

2.1.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

Since March 2020361 Idlib governorate has been divided into areas controlled by the GoS and 
allied militias and areas controlled by anti-GoS armed groups. Anti-GoS armed groups control 
the western and northern parts of the governorate, which cover virtually all the areas north and 
immediately south of the M4 highway.362 After the Turkish military deployment and/or incursion 
into areas controlled by anti-GoS armed groups in Idlib governorate (Operation Spring Shield) 
in early March 2020, Türkiye and Russia mediated a ceasefire363 between GoS and allied militias 
and anti-GoS armed groups364.  

357 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic. Governorates Profiles, June 2014, url, p. 22 
358 REACH, Syria, Syrian Cities Damage Atlas, 16 March 2019, url, pp. 45-46 
359 UN Security Council, Security Council Renews Cross-Border Aid Operations into Syria’s North-West for Six Months, 
Adopting Resolution 2642 (2022) as ‘Compromise’ amid Divisions, 12 July 2022, url, paras. 45-46; USDOS, Attacks 
on Civilians in Syria, Press Statement, 22 March 2021, url 
360 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
361 Information on the conflict background and armed actors in Idlib prior to August 2022 is available in the EUAA 
COI report Syria – Security situation (September 2022), EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security Situation (July 2021), and 
EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (May 2020). 
362 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 
January 2023, url; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], 
January 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. 
363  For  details,  see  UN  Security  Council,  Letter  dated  6  March  2020  from  the  representatives  of  the  Russian 
Federation and Turkey to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, 6 March 2020, url  
364 International Crisis Group, Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win, 20 July 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Since  the  March  2020  ceasefire,  the  areas  of  control  in  and  around  the  so-called  ‘Idlib  de-
escalation area’365 have ‘stabilized’366, the major frontlines have remained ‘stagnant’367 and Syria 
has  experienced  a  ‘period  without  significant  frontline  changes’.368  The  largest  change 
regarding control was noted between Idlib and Aleppo governorates, where HTS briefly seized 
territory from armed  groups allied with  Türkiye.369  These clashes did not, however, lead to a 
formal  redrawing  of  internal  boundaries  between  opposition  factions.370  According  to 
International Crisis Group, the 10 000 Turkish troops present in northern Syria including Idlib 
have allowed Ankara to enforce the Idlib ceasefire.371 These are especially present along the 
border regions between Idlib and Aleppo governorates.372 

(a)  Anti-GoS armed groups 

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) controls those parts of Idlib governorate under the control of anti-
GoS armed groups and has almost  complete control over the wider Idlib de-escalation area, 
including most border crossings with Türkiye.373 HTS has been described as ‘a former al-Qaeda 
affiliate still designated as a terrorist group by the UN and many states’374 and as the dominant 
armed group in the governorate. HTS administers the governorate through the Syrian Salvation 
Government (SSG).375 Most sources concur that HTS has between 7 000376 and 10 000 fighters 
under its command,377 while sources interviewed by DIS in October 2022 cite between 30 000 
and 80 000 fighters.378 Within Idlib, with respect to the situation prevailing before 2019 between 
anti-GoS factions, the security situation in the area dominated by HTS has been described as 
‘four years of relative stability’.379 For further information on HTS, see section 1.4.4 above. 

365 The term ‘Idlib de-escalation area’ or ‘Idlib de-escalation zone’ covers the areas controlled by anti-GoS armed 
groups in Idlib governorate as well as the adjoining, similar areas in western Aleppo and northern Hama and Latakia 
governorates. On the establishment of the Idlib de-escalation area (and other similar areas) see the EUAA COI Report: 
Syria - Security situation (July 2021) and Jaecke, G. & Labude, D., De-escalation zones in Syria, KAS, June 2020, url  
366 Clingendael, Turkey’s interventions in its near abroad: The case of Idlib, September 2021, url, p. 7 
367 FT, Syria: what is Turkey’s grand plan?, 25 July 2022, url 
368 Carter Center (The), The State of the Syrian National Army, March 2022, url, p. 3 
369  IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 305; Syria TV, Through SNA Cracks: HTS Infiltrates Aleppo 
Countryside, Manipulates Loyalties, The Syrian Observer, 25 January 2023, url  
370 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, 
December 2022, url, p. 19 
371 International Crisis Group, Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win, 20 July 2023, url 
372 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
373  International  Crisis  Group,  Containing  Transnational Jihadists in  Syria’s  North  West,  7  March  2023,  url,  p.  5; 
Tsurkov, E., Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (Syria), European Council on Foreign Relations, n.d., url; Solomon, C., HTS: Evolution 
of a Jihadi Group, Wilson Center, 13 July 2022, url; Jusoor for Studies,  قافلآاو ةنهارلا تاريدقتلا ..ماشلا ريرحت ةئيه دراوم
ةيلبقتسملا, 28 December 2022, url 
374 International Crisis Group, Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win, 20 July 2023, url 
375 Al-Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, Atlantic Council, 1 
December 2022, url 
376 UN Security Council, Letter dated 13 February 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and  the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida  and  associated  individuals,  groups,  undertakings  and  entities  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  Security 
Council [containing thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to 
resolution  2610  (2021)  concerning  ISIL  (Da’esh),  Al-Qaida  and  associated  individuals  and  entities],  S/2023/95,  13 
February 2023, url, para. 46  
377 IISS, The Military Balance, Volume 123, 2023, url, p. 357  
378 DIS, Recruitment to opposition groups, December 2022, url, p. 13 
379 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d.,  url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

The Idlib de-escalation zone has been described as ‘safe haven and holding pen’380 for other 
Islamist  and/or  jihadist  groups,  including  some  made  up  of  foreign  fighters.381  For  further 
information on other anti-GoS armed groups in Idlib, see section 1.4.5 above. 

HTS has ‘subdued’ the various jihadist groups previously present in Idlib. In some cases it has 
eradicated them; in others, it has allowed only a few leaders or, in some cases, a few fighters to 
remain in the governorate.382 During the reporting period, independent jihadist groups outside 
Fath Al-Mubin remained in Idlib, including HTS’ rival, al-Qaida-affiliated jihadist group Hurras al-
Din (HaD), but were described as ‘tiny’.383 HaD was reportedly ‘defunct’.384 Among other jihadist 
groups  unreconciled  to  HTS  quasi-hegemony  in  Idlib,  Jabhat  Ansar  Al-Din  has  only  a  few 
fighters  left  and  Ansar  Al-Islam  is  characterized  as  ‘miniscule,  with  very  little  military 
capability’.385  In  late  June  2023  a  new  insurgent  group,  ‘Revolutionary  Shield  Company’, 
emerged and claimed to fight HTS ‘criminality’ as opposed to GoS forces and allied militias.386 

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), centred in northern Aleppo governorate,387 had 
presence in Idlib governorate.388 The SNA-affiliated389 National Liberation Front (NLF) is part of 
the  Fath  al-Mubin  Operations  Room  and  fights  alongside  HTS  on  the  Idlib  frontlines.390  HTS 
aside, the two strongest SNA factions in Fath Al-Mubin are Ahrar al-Sham and Faylaq al-Sham.391 

For more information on anti-government armed groups in the Idlib area, see sections 1.4.4 to 
1.4.6. 

(b)  Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups 

The GoS and allied militias control the southern and eastern parts of Idlib governorate, including 
the  Damascus-Aleppo  highway (M5)  and  its  immediate  surroundings.392  In  April  2023,  SNHR 
reported that the 25th Division (Special Tasks) (previously the Tiger Forces) is deployed across 
large sections of the fronts in Idlib governorate in particular.393 Prior to the reference period, the 
First, Second  and  Third brigades  of the  SAA’s  Fifth  Corps based in Hama governorate  were 
extensively deployed in south Idlib.394 

380 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 3 
381 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 10 
382 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 8 
383 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 6 
384 Bunzel, C., Explainer: The Jihadi Threat in 2022, Wilson Center, 22 December 2022, url 
385 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 10 
386 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d.,  url 
387 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, 
December 2022, url, p.14 
388  ACLED,  Actor  Profile:  Hayat  Tahrir  al-Sham  (HTS),  26  July  2023,  url;  International  Crisis  Group,  Containing 
Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 7 
389 Carter Center (The), The State of the Syrian National Army, March 2022, url, p. 8 
390 Al-Monitor, Idlib sees new escalation between Syrian government, opposition forces, 22 June 2022, url 
391 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 7 
392 See the maps in Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 
2023 [Map], 2 January 2023, url 
393 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p.22 
394 Waters, G, From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies, MEI, 12 September 2022, url  

52 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

(c) 

ISIL 

ISIL cells and leaders remain present in Idlib despite HTS’ ‘counter-terrorism’395 efforts to render 
them  entirely  inoperable396,  and  ISIL  continues  claiming  attacks  against  HTS  targets.397 
However, ISIL’s position in Idlib has been ‘severely weakened’ by HTS suppression of the group, 
even while HTS  has  yet to obtain the capacity to ‘completely root out’398  ISIL’s  underground 
networks.399 

(d)  Security trends during the reporting period  

Clashes involving GoS forces, opposition armed groups and ISIL 

According to the International Crisis Group, the ceasefire in place since March 2020 remained 
in effect during the reference period but was regularly ‘strain[ed]’400, notably by ‘near daily’ GoS 
forces  and  allied  militias  shelling  and  ‘frequent’ aerial  bombing  by  GoS ally  Russia  that  both 
‘uproot many people across the governorate time and again.’401  

The  UNCOI  reported  that  the  conflict  ‘intensified’  on  several  frontlines  in  the  second  half  of 
2022, including the frontline located in Idlib.402 Between July and December 2022, the UNCOI 
recorded 20 aerial and ground attacks carried out by GoS forces and allied militias in western 
Aleppo  and  Idlib  that  resulted  in  195  civilian  casualties.403  The  International  Crisis  Group 
reported that ‘Russian and regime attacks fell off somewhat in 2022’ in Idlib relative to previous 
years, but emphasised that, by March 2023, armed conflict still displaced 10 000 people each 
month.404  UNOCHA  emphasised  that,  in 2022, active  armed incidents and clashes  remained 
regularly reported around frontline areas and caused civilian casualties, especially including in 
areas  south  of  the  M4  highway  in  Idlib.405  ‘Widespread  breaches’  of  the  post-March-2020 
ceasefire continued to occur in the second half of 2022406 and the first half of 2023.407 Beyond 
Russian air raids, these consisted primarily of mutual shelling, rocket fire and limited clashes 

395 Zelin, A. Y., Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State, CTC Sentinel, February 2023, 
url 
396 Zelin, A. Y., Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State, CTC Sentinel, February 2023, 
url 
397 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d.,  url 
398 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 12 
399 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 12; Nasr, 
W., Journey to Idlib: An Interview with Wassim Nasr, Journalist, France24, CTC Sentinel, May 2023, url; Zelin, A. Y., 
Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State, CTC Sentinel, February 2023, url 
400 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
401 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 20 
402 OHCHR, Don't look away: Syrian civilians face the prospect of a new escalation, 14 September 2022, url 
403  UN Human  Rights  Council, Report  of the  Independent  International  Commission  of Inquiry  on  the  Syrian  Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 22 
404 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 21 
405 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
406 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, 2 January 
2023, url 
407 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: June 2023, June 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para.4; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 
2023, url, para.7 

53 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

between opposition armed  groups and GoS  forces and allied militias across contact lines408, 
causing frequent civilian casualties.409  

Frequent  alleged  Russian  airstrikes  were  the  primary  cause  of  documented  civilian  deaths. 
Airstrikes were notably recorded in September 2022 when they reportedly killed 14 civilians in 
two separate incidents and five air raids. Such strikes further stepped up from October 2022, 
with  Russia  reportedly killing at least nine  civilians  and  injuring over 70 in a bombing  of IDP 
camps near Idlib city on 6 November.410 

Regarding ground military activity, raids by HTS on GoS forces and allied militias positions in 
September-October 2022 were followed by several months of escalation. In December 2022, 
HTS raids notably targeted GoS and allied militias positions in eastern Idlib. In January 2023, 
for ‘the first time’411, groups within the HTS-led Fath al-Mubin coalition joined these HTS raids, 
drawing GoS and allied militias shelling of towns in Idlib.412 

Notably, attacks on crops and agricultural land were commonly reported, with such attacks in 
Idlib  making  up  18 %  of  the  total  between  2017  and  2022,  second  only  to  the  percentage 
recorded for Hama governorate.413 The UNCOI reported on numerous instances of attacks on 
agricultural fields in the second half of 2022 that led to civilian casualties.414 

Among the deadliest incidents in the second half of 2022,  shelling, airstrikes and clashes taking 
place  in  November  2022  in  the  vicinity  of  Idlib  City  destroyed  the  homes  of  hundreds  of 
displaced families in three IDP camps supported by humanitarian organisations. At least nine 
civilians  were  killed  and  75  were  injured,  including  children.  More  than  400  families  were 
displaced.415 

In the  deadliest single  incident for civilians  documented  by  the UNCOI in the second half of 
2022, on 6 November 2022, the UNCOI documented that cluster munitions struck the densely 
populated Maram displacement camp near Kafr Jalis, close to the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing, 
and impacted six other nearby camps. UNCOI analysis determined that these cluster munitions 
were  launched  from  GoS-held  Nayrab  airport,  approximately  35  kilometres  away.  At  least  7 
civilians were killed in the incident, including 1 woman and 4 children, while at least 60 other 
civilians were injured.416 This use of cluster munitions was reported in Kafr Jalis, Murin and Kafr 
Ruhin in western rural Idlib and Sina‘ah and Ariha areas in southern rural Idlib.417 

408 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.7 
409  UN Human  Rights  Council, Report of the  Independent International  Commission  of Inquiry  on  the  Syrian  Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, Annex IV, para.25  
410 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
411 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
412 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
413 Insecurity Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria, April 2023, url, p. 6  
414  UN  Human  Rights  Council,  Report of  the  Independent  International  Commission  of Inquiry  on  the  Syrian  Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, paras 27-28, Annex IV, paras 10-17 
415 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
416  UN Human  Rights  Council,  Report of  the  Independent  International  Commission of Inquiry  on  the  Syrian  Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, Annex IV, para.25; HRW, Syria: Cluster Munitions Used in November 
6 Attacks, 23 November 2022, url 
417 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 4 

54 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

According  to  the  UN  Security  Council,  violent  incidents  continued  throughout  the  first  five 
months of 2023, causing civilian casualties.418 

Along with Aleppo governorate, Idlib was the governorate hardest hit by the 6 February 2023 
earthquake that ‘devastated’ Syria’s northwest in particular.419 In the immediate aftermath of the 
February 2023 earthquake in the Idlib de-escalation area, violent incidents decreased as HTS 
ceased attacks on GoS and allied militias positions in Idlib. Following renewed GoS forces and 
allied post-earthquake shelling,420 however, HTS attacks also resumed.421  

Clashes  across  contact  lines  in  Idlib  swiftly  resumed,  with  civilian  casualties  recorded.  In 
February and March 2023, frontlines in Idlib remained among the most affected by hostilities.422 
In late May 2023, Russian airstrikes on anti-GoS held areas in Idlib rose to a level unprecedented 
in 18 months. According to Etana Syria, since the beginning of May 2023 Russian airstrikes on 
north-west Syria in general have ‘dramatically intensified’ and caused ‘the deadliest attacks on 
civilians in the region in over a year‘, in a dynamic ‘towards greater confrontation and targeting 
of  civilians'.  This  has  included  the  bombing  in  June  2023  of a vegetable market  in Jisr-Ash-
Shughur  that  killed  at  least  nine  and  injured  dozens  more.423  On  26  August  2023,  SOHR 
reported that Ansar al-Tawhid (AaT) and the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) mounted the first tunnel 
bombing on SAA positions since 2016, killing at least 11 GoS soldiers424 in the most severe attack 
since 2020 according to pro-government Athr Press.425  

(e)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 1 837 security 
incidents recorded by ACLED in Idlib governorate, of which 187 were coded as battles, 1 569 
explosions/remote violence and 81 incidents of violence against civilians.426 Security incidents 
were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being documented in Ariha 
and al Ma’ra districts (see Figure 3.). 

418 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 7; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 4 
419 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.3; Data Friendly Space, 
‘Syria  Earthquake  February  2023  Government-controlled  areas,  Bi-Weekly  Highlights  -  17/02/2023’,  17  February 
2023, url 
420 Middle East Eye, Syria: Assad forces bombed areas hit by earthquake hours after disaster, 7 February 2023, url 
421 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Para 7, 29 
422 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Para 7, 29 
423 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: June 2023, June 2023, url 
424 Middle East Eye, Syria: Eleven soldiers killed in tunnel attack, 26 August 2023, url 
425 Athr Press, Most Violent in Three Years: Armed Factions Attack Syrian Army in Idleb Countryside, The Syrian 
Observer, 28 August 2023, url 
426 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Figure 2. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Idlib governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data427 

According to ACLED, GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were the main actor involved in 
security incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) during the reference period, accounting 
for around 73 % of all documented security incidents and around 83 % of all incidents coded 
as explosions/remote violence. Opposition armed groups, including HTS and affiliated armed 
groups were involved in around 23 % of all security incidents, the vast majority of which had 
GoS forces and affiliated armed groups as a party. 

427 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

56 

 
 
 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Al Ma’ra 

Ariha 

Harim 

Idlib 

78 

29 

5 

75 

Jisr-Ash-Shugur 

- 

523 

621 

25 

351 

49 

Total 

187 

1569 

-  

11 

26 

32 

12 

81 

Figure 3. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against 
civilians  in  Idlib  governorate  between  1  August  2022  and  28  July  2023.  Breakdown  by 
district based on ACLED data428 

(f)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 246 civilian fatalities in 2021429 and 147 in 2022.430 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 91 civilian fatalities in Idlib governorate.431 For the year 
2022, AOAV documented 279 civilian casualties (killed and injured) in Idlib resulting from 
incidents of explosive violence.432 

428 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
429 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
430 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
431 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
432 AOAV, Syria, updated 21 March 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Figure 4. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Idlib governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(g)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Idlib is one of the governorates where sources reported the highest percentage of widespread 
explosive  ordnance  contamination  during  the  reporting  period.433  UXO  contamination  was 
identified most often on ‘agricultural land, roads and private property, followed by schools, other 
public infrastructure and hospitals’ and particularly affected Idlib governorate.434  

Civilian casualties, including of children, as a result of ERW were reported in Idlib in 2022435 and 
2023.436 Insecurity and the presence of ERW has also impeded access of farmers to agricultural 
land.437 

(h)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 1 899 350 IDPs in Idlib governorate.438 In 
2022,  Idlib  governorate  recorded  the  highest  number  of  IDP  movements  in  Syria  by  a 
considerable  distance,  at  122  807  movements:  some  13 000  from  the  governorate,  105 000 
within the governorate and 18 000 to the governorate. The highest numbers were recorded in 

433  UNOCHA,  Humanitarian  Needs  Overview:  Syrian  Arab  Republic,  22  December  2022,  url,  p.  12;  UN  Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.29; UN Security Council, Report 
of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para.33 
434 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
435  UN  Security  Council,  Report  of  the  Secretary-General  [S/2022/775],  19  October  2022,  url,  para.  24;  Insecurity 
Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria, April 2023, url, p. 10  
436  UN  Security  Council,  Report  of  the  Secretary-General  [S/2023/127],  21  February  2023,  url,  p.  19;  UN  Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, p. 19 
437 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 30; Insecurity Insight, 
The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria, April 2023, url, p. 12 
438 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 

58 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

November (16 024), September (15 477) and February (12 543).439  Two Idlib subdistricts, Dana 
(Harim  district)  and  Maaret  Tamsrin  (Idlib  district),  recorded  the  highest  number  of  IDP 
movements in Syria and were the only subdistricts to witness over 20 000 IDP movements per 
month  over the  course of 2022.440  In  the  first  six  months of  2023, UNOCHA recorded  some 
2 600 IDP movements from Idlib governorate, 68 200 IDP movements within the governorate 
and 25 800 IDP movements to the governorate.441 

The majority of IDP movements were recorded in February 2023 when over 34 000 persons 
were  displaced  mostly  within  the  governorate  following  the  earthquakes.442  IDP  movements 
recorded during the period January to June 2023 were mostly motivated by ‘access to services 
and livelihoods’.443 

UNOCHA recorded 38 724 IDP spontaneous return movements in 2022, the highest numbers 
being recorded in September (6 017) and May (5 120). 1 000 were to the governorate, 28 000 
within the governorate and 11 000 to the governorate.444 The majority of IDP return movements 
recorded by UNOCHA in 2022 (28 000 from a total of 39 000) occurred within the governorate, 
that  saw  the  highest  return  movements  figures  across  Syria.445  In  2022,  the  UN  cited  a 
combination of ‘push and pull factors related to changes in the security and economic situation 
in  the  place  of  origin  and/or  area  of  displacement’  as  the  main  reason  for  IDP  return 
movements.446    In  the  south  of  the  governorate  under  GoS  forces and  allied  militias  control, 
SNHR reported on the continued auctioning of lands in Idlib governorate belonging to displaced 
persons and refugees447 as a factor precluding returns to the area448.  

In the first six months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded some 10 000 IDP returns to Idlib 
governorate, 14 800 return movements within the governorate and 680 returns from the 

439 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
440 UNOCHA, IDP movements and IDP spontaneous return movements Data December 2022, updated 26 April 2023, 
url 
441 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements 
(March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: 
IDP Movements (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
442 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url 
443  UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 
2023), 9 August 2023, url 
444 UNOCHA, IDP movements and IDP spontaneous return movements Data December 2022, updated 26 April 2023, 
url 
445 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
446 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 55 
447 SNHR, The Syrian Regime Announces New Auctions of Lands in Idlib Province Belonging to Displaced Persons 
and Refugees With the Aim of Seizing Them, 20 October 2022, url;  New Arab (The), ‘Syria regime auctioning off 
refugees' land in Idlib's Khan Sheikhoun, emptied after sarin gas attack’, 7 October 2022, url 
448 SNHR, The Syrian Regime Announces New Auctions of Lands in Idlib Province Belonging to Displaced Persons 
and Refugees With the Aim of Seizing Them, 20 October 2022, url ; New Arab (The), ‘Syria regime auctioning off 
refugees' land in Idlib's Khan Sheikhoun, emptied after sarin gas attack’, 7 October 2022, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

governorate.449 The highest return numbers were recorded in February and attributed to the 
earthquakes.450 

449 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian 
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns 
(April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 
2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
450 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2.  Aleppo governorate  

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 7: © MapAction, Aleppo governorate451 

2.2.1.  General description of the governorate  

Aleppo governorate is located in the north of Syria, bordering Idlib governorate to the west, 
Hama governorate to the south and Raqqa governorate to the east, and it shares an 
international border with Türkiye.452 The governorate is divided into eight districts: Jebel 
Saman, Afrin (or Efrin), A’zaz (or Azaz), Al-Bab, Manbij (or Menbij), Jarablus, Ain Al Arab (or 
Kobane), and As-Safira.453 In a December 2022 report, UNOCHA estimated the population of 
Aleppo governorate at 4 226 203.454 According to UNOCHA, as of April 2023, the total 
population of those areas in northern Aleppo that are under Turkish control455 was 
approximately 1.4 million, of whom 850 000 were IDPs.456 For more information on the ethnic 

451 MapAction, Aleppo governorate, 29 July 2016, url 
452 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas, 
Syrian Arab Republic [Map], January 2017, url, p. 6 
453 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic, Governorates profile (June 2014), 6 August 2014, url, p. 5 
454 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
455 The area discussed by UNOCHA as ‘Turkish Operation Area’ coincides with the areas captured by Turkish 
forces and affiliated anti-GoS armed groups during the so-called ‘Euphrates Shield’ and ‘Olive Branch’ military 
operations. 
456 UNOCHA, Northwest Syria Factsheet (As of 30 April 2023), 5 May 2023, url, p. 1 

61 

 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

and religious composition of Aleppo’s population, see the EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security 
situation (July 2021), section 2.2.1. 

2.2.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Aleppo governorate is divided into areas controlled by anti-GoS armed groups, areas 
controlled by the GoS, and several separate areas and enclaves controlled by the 
SDF457/YPG.458 Anti-GoS armed groups continued to control the northern parts of the 
governorate, including the areas adjacent to the Turkish border in Afrin, A’zaz, Al-Bab and 
Jarablus districts and areas west of Aleppo city adjoining the areas of Idlib governorate 
controlled by anti-GoS armed groups.459 Aleppo’s countryside from Afrin to Al-Bab and 
Jarabulus was reportedly controlled by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).460 
Parts of western Aleppo governorate were under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).461 

In the reference period of the previous EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security situation 
(September 2022), ISIL had presence in the parts of Aleppo governorate controlled by 
Turkish-backed SNA and was active in GoS-controlled southern Aleppo governorate.462 
Gregory Waters, a researcher specialising in the Syrian conflict and extremist groups, 
elaborated in a January 2023 report that ISIL cells had always been present in south Aleppo, 
albeit with low levels of activity, but that the return of ambushes in the area in December 2022 
indicated a ‘strengthened and emboldened ISIS [ISIL] in this region’.463 

(a)  Anti-GoS armed groups 

In mid-October 2022, HTS took over the city of Afrin,464 including its surroundings,465 from the 
SNA466 for around two weeks.467 According to the SOHR, a minimum of 30 positions in the 

457 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 50 
458 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; Jusoor for 
Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 January 2023, 
url; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria 
[Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Aleppo and June 2023. 
459 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 
January 2023, url; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 
[Map], January 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to 
Aleppo and June 2023. 
460 TIMEP, So Close Yet So Far: The Political and Economic Isolation of Northwest Syria, 20 February 2023, url 
461 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, pp. 50, 
96; UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 56 
462 EUAA, Syria: Security Situation, September 2022, url, p. 86 
463 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url  
464 Netjes, R., Shifting Lines and IDPs: Azaz, Afrin, and the HTS Incursion, TWI, 19 October 2022, url  
465 Enab Baladi, زازعا وحن بحسني "ثلاثلا قليفلا"و نيرفع  محتقت "ماشلا ريرحت" [‘Tahrir al-Sham’ enters Afrin and the ‘Third 
Corps’ withdraws towards Azaz], 13 October 2022, url; Syrian Observer (The), Recap: HTS and Opposition 
Agreement in Northern Syria Following Turkish Intervention, 21 October 2022, url 
466 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, October – December 2022, 
1 May 2023, url, pp. 10-11; VOA, Jihadist Group Takes Over Strategic Town in Northwest Syria, 13 October 2022, url; 
Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url; MEE, Syria: HTS militants storm 
into Afrin as infighting rips through rebel-held areas, 13 October 2022, url  
467 MEE, Syria: Turkey to reorganise rebel groups as HTS withdraws from Afrin, 25 October 2022, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

area had already been under the control of HTS before the takeover of Afrin.468 A January 
2023 article by opposition-affiliated Syria TV indicated that HTS was tightening control over 
north-western Syria, such as via proxy groups and the formation of new alliances, and was 
active in Afrin ‘in a hidden way’, holding ‘the Hamran crossing between Manbij and 
Jarabulus’.469 In February 2023, reportedly, the ‘Shahba Gathering’ was founded, uniting 
around 7 000 fighters of a number of SNA factions as well as HTS-affiliated groups.470 As of 
May 2023, territorial control was restored to what it had been prior to the takeover of Afrin, 
with the difference that Afrin and other bordering areas remained under the control of HTS-
friendly SNA factions.471 

(b)  Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups 

The GoS controls the central and southern parts of the governorate, including the Damascus-
Aleppo motorway (M5) and its immediate surroundings.472 As of April 2023, the pro-
government Russia-affiliated and pro-Iranian473 Palestinian474 Liwa Al-Quds brigade, which had 
been present in Aleppo governorate in the past, was subsequently transferred to Deir Ez-Zor 
governorate.475 The International Crisis Group and Etana Syria indicated, in June 2023, that 
large contingents of GoS forces were deployed to northern Aleppo governorate,476 while the 
number of GoS artillery strikes increased.477  

According to a US Congress report, GoS and Russian forces in late January 2023 re-opened 
the joint base al-Jarrah (or Jirah), east of Aleppo city, reportedly, ‘as an additional option for 
forward deploying aircraft for air patrols along the northern Syrian border’.478 In the reference 
period, the presence of GoS’s 25th Special Forces Mission Division was reported in Aleppo 
governorate.479  

468 VOA, Jihadist Group Takes Over Strategic Town in Northwest Syria, 13 October 2022, url 
469 Syria TV, Through SNA Cracks: HTS Infiltrates Aleppo Countryside, Manipulates Loyalties, The Syrian Observer, 
25 January 2023, url 
470 Enab Baladi, ةهج يلأ هتيعبت يفنيو هفوفص ززعي ”ءابهشلا عمجت“ ..بلح فير [Rural Aleppo: ‘Al-Shahba Gathering’ 
strengthens its ranks and denies its affiliation with any party], 28 February 2023, url, Shahba Gathering: Is HTS 
organizing its own militia in north Aleppo? Part I, 1 May 2023, url 
471 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, October – December 2022, 1 May 
2023, url, p. 11 
472 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 
January 2023, url; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 
[Map], January 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to 
Aleppo and June 2023. 
473 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, pp. 3, 6 
474 Galia, E., The Pro-Iranian Militias in Syria, ITIC, 29 March 2023, url, p. 24 
475 Al Arabiya, ؟وه نمف ..نلاوجلا فصق ىنبتي  سدقلا ءاول ليصف [Liwa al-Quds faction claims responsibility for bombing of 
Golan heights, but who is Liwa al-Quds?], 9 April 2023, url  
476 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: 
North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url 
477 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
478 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 54 
479 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The 
Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

In the reference period, GoS’s Fourth Division continued a siege on the Kurdish-controlled 
Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighbourhoods of Aleppo city,480 which had been imposed 
since mid-March 2022.481 Itreportedly deployed reinforcements in the vicinity of these 
neighbourhoods as well as in (likewise Kurdish-held) Al-Shahba Canton in northern Aleppo, 
which includes the Tall Rifaat region,482 ‘to further intensify the siege on the area’.483 According 
to a January 2023 Orient XII article, the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood 
and Tall Rifaat region had been facing a particularly strict siege by the GoS since August 
2022.484 As of December 2022, Russian-backed Syrian troops controlled zones mainly to the 
south of Tall Rifaat.485  

(c)  Kurdish armed groups (SDF/YPG)  

SDF/YPG are in control of or have presence in Aleppo city (in the neighbourhoods of Sheikh 
Maqsoud and Ashrafiya),486 in the Tall Rifaat area north of Aleppo city487 and in Manbij488 and 
Ain al-Arab (Kobane) in eastern Aleppo governorate.489 Reportedly, the local Kurdish military 
outfit Afrin Liberation Forces (HRE; Kurdish: Hezen Rizgariya Efrine) was also active in Aleppo 
governorate in the reference period.490 

(d)  Türkiye 

Turkish forces have a presence alongside anti-GoS armed groups in the so-called Operation 
Olive Branch and Operation Euphrates Shield areas controlled by these groups in the north of 
Aleppo governorate,491 with a high density in the north-west and along the border regions 
between Idlib and Aleppo governorates.492 Observation posts established by Turkish forces 
along the frontlines separating the areas west of Aleppo city controlled by anti-GoS armed 
groups from the GoS-controlled central Aleppo governorate, as of January 2023, remained 

480 Kurdistan24, Two Kurdish children die in Aleppo due to Syrian government siege, 5 January 2023, url; Shaam 
Network, Residents of Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud Pay for Conflict Between PKK and 4th Division, The 
Syrian Observer, 6 January 2023, url 
481 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 32 
482 VOA, Syrian Kurd Who Lost Hand in IS Battle Finds Passion for the Drums, 26 July 2019, url 
483 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 32 
484Ali, A. and Ledeganck, I., Dans le nord de la Syrie, les rivalités régionales réveillent l’organisation de l’État 
islamique, Orient XXI, 31 January 2023, url 
485 France 24, Russia sends troop reinforcements to Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, 1 December 2022, url  
486 Kurdistan24, Two Kurdish children die in Aleppo due to Syrian government siege, 5 January 2023, url; Shaam 
Network, Residents of Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud Pay for Conflict Between PKK and 4th Division, The 
Syrian Observer, 6 January 2023, url 
487 Ali, A. and Ledeganck, I., Dans le nord de la Syrie, les rivalités régionales réveillent l’organisation de l’État 
islamique, Orient XXI, 31 January 2023, url  
488 Netjes, R., Arab Syrian IDPs of Tal Rifaat also Want to Go Home, TWI, 12 August 2022, url  
489 France 24, Russia sends troop reinforcements to Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, 1 December 2022, url; Al-
Monitor, Syrian opposition gears up for Turkish ground operation, 2 December 2022, url; MEE, Turkey 'gives Russia 
time to broker a deal' on Syria's Tal Rifaat, 29 November 2022, url 
490 AFN News, Afrin Liberation Forces publish balance sheet of actions they carried out in July, 1 August 2023, url; 
NPA, 92 Turkish soldiers killed in Syria’s Afrin – Kurdish armed force, 4 January 2023, url  
491 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
492 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

the same as in the previous reference period, according to the UN.493 Turkish proxies 
controlled areas surrounding Tall Rifaat from the north.494  

(e)  Russia 

According to Jusoor for Studies, as of July 2023, Russian forces were deployed in areas 
controlled by the GoS and in some areas controlled by the SDF/YPG, such as Manbij.495 
Russian forces continued to be stationed in Aleppo city.496 In November 2022, in the light of a 
possible Turkish incursion, Russia reportedly deployed forces to Tall Rifaat city, where Russian 
forces were already present.497 With reference to confidential sources interviewed by the pro-
GoS newspaper Athr Press, it was reported that Russian forces were still positioned in Tall 
Rifaat city as of June 2023.498 

(f) 

Iran 

According to Jusoor for Studies, as of July 2023, Iranian forces were deployed in Aleppo 
governorate in the areas controlled by GoS as well as in areas in north-western Aleppo 
governorate controlled by the SDF/YPG.499 A government source indicated that the central 
Iranian military base was located in the Jabal Azzan area to the south of Aleppo.500 According 
to an article by researcher and political analyst Pierre Boussel published in June 2023, several 
local pro-Iranian militias, among which the Aleppo Defenders Corps, were present in Aleppo 
governorate. Furthermore, military reinforcements from the Iraqi Badr Brigade were present at 
the bases of the 80th Brigade near Aleppo International Airport.501 With reference to various 
sources, Boussel further indicated that IRGC Quds force units were moving towards northern 
Syria, among others in order to get closer to Shiite cities in Aleppo governorate such as Al-
Zahraa and Nubl northwest of Aleppo. Furthermore, Iranian drone launch sites were placed at 
the Jirah and Kuweires airbases in eastern Aleppo governorate.502 In 2022, pro-Iranian militias 
reportedly established bases near the cities of Deir Hafir and Maskanah in Manbij district, 
located along the road to Raqqa governorate.503 

493 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
494 France 24, Russia sends troop reinforcements to Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, 1 December 2022, url  
495 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
496 Athr Press, Truth of News of Withdrawal of Russian Members from Tal Rifaat Base in Northern Syria, The Syrian 
Observer, 7 June 2023, url  
497 AFP, Russia sends reinforcements to northern Syria, 30 November 2022  
498 Athr Press, Truth of News of Withdrawal of Russian Members from Tal Rifaat Base in Northern Syria, The Syrian 
Observer, 7 June 2023, url 
499 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
500 Syria TV, Syria Earthquake Reveals Extent of Iranian Influence in Aleppo, The Syrian Observer, 2 March 2023, 
url 
501 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, pp. 4-5 
502 Boussel, P., The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, CTC Sentinel, June 2023, url, p. 5 
503 Galia, E., The Pro-Iranian Militias in Syria, ITIC, 29 March 2023, url, p. 23 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.2.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

In the reference period, civilian casualties in Aleppo governorate occurred as a result of 
ground-based strikes,504 drone strikes505 and stray bullets.506 Furthermore, airstrikes,507 rocket 
fire across front lines, shelling508 and limited clashes were reported.509 Incidents in which 
civilians were shot and killed by an armed group,510 at a checkpoint511 or by unknown 
perpetrators512 were also reported. Sustained tensions in northern Aleppo continued 
particularly in frontline areas.513 Overall, the reported incidents occurred in northern514 and 
north-western Aleppo,515 eastern, north-eastern and western Aleppo governorate.516 Airstrikes 
and mutual shelling were also reported in densely populated areas such as Ayn Al-Arab 
(Kobane).517 UNOCHA reported that the majority of IED attacks in 2022 in Syria were recorded 
in areas controlled by armed groups in Turkish operations in Aleppo and two other 
governorates.518 According to UNOCHA, ‘targeted air strikes against airports’ in Aleppo 
occurred regularly.519 Strikes reportedly targeted civilian areas in A’zaz, Al-Bab, Afrin and other 
areas in northern rural Aleppo.520 Clashes occurred in the reference period in areas north of 
Aleppo such as Ayn Al-Arab, Afrin and Tall Rifaat.521 Artillery shelling by GoS and Russian 
forces was for example reported in June 2023 in Kafr Nouran, Kaframa and Kafrtaal in western 
Aleppo.522 In October 2022, hostilities escalated in Al-Bab, Afrin and Kafr Jannah, after a social 
media activist and his wife were killed,523 between two SNA factions, namely the Third Legion 

504 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 17; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, pp. 19-20 
505 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 17; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
506 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, Annex I, p. 19 
507 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 6 
508 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 6; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 5; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3 
509 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 8; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 6; UN Security Council, Report 
of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3 
510 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
511 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
512 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 17; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, Annex I, p. 19 
513 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 29 
514 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 82; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 6; UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 
22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
515 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
516 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, pp. 20-21; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
517 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6 
518 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 20 
519 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
520 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 3 
521 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
522 Al Jazeera, Syrian gov’t bombs kill three people near Aleppo: White Helmets, 22 June 2023, url  
523 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 5 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

and the Hamza Division. Reportedly, HTS and SNA’s Sultan Suleiman Shah Division joined the 
clashes in support of the Hamza Division524 and other SNA factions and SNA-affiliated groups 
joined the clashes in support of different sides of the conflict.525 In the aftermath of the 
February 2023 earthquakes, violent incidents decreased but did not stop completely.526 

The conflict between GoS and anti-GoS armed groups 

Indiscriminate attacks by GoS and Russian forces on civilians in western Aleppo persisted in 
2022.527 The USDOS reported that shelling by GoS and pro-GoS forces in western Aleppo 
continued throughout 2022.528 Between July and December 2022, 20 aerial and ground 
attacks were carried out by pro-GoS forces in western Aleppo and Idlib, according to the 
UNCOI.529 The number of airstrikes carried out by pro-GoS forces had decreased as of August 
2022.530 However, in mid-2023, GoS forces and affiliated militias attacked the north-west 
more frequently, including civilian areas in Aleppo governorate, causing civilian casualties.531 
HTS, meanwhile, clashed with GoS forces in northern Aleppo532 and attacked GoS positions in 
the governorate, joined by units from the HTS-affiliated al-Fatah al-Mubin coalition.533  

Sporadic hostilities amongst GoS-affiliated militias, such as clashes between the Liwa Al-Quds 
and National Defence Forces (NDF), resulting in civilians casualties, including of children, were 
reported in the reference period in the governorate.534 

The conflict between Türkiye and Kurdish armed groups (SDF/YPG) 

Clashes between Türkiye and Kurdish armed groups occurred in Aleppo governorate in 
multiple instances.535 The USDOS indicated that Aleppo was one of three Syrian governorates 
affected by a total of over 50 airstrikes ‘targeting vehicles, posts, different positions, and 
civilian infrastructure’ executed by Türkiye in 2022.536 According to Jusoor for Studies, as of 
January 2023, two air operations were launched by Türkiye against the SDF in the reference 

524 Syria Direct, ‘Accountability, or fall’: Syrian National Army’s Hamza Division under fire after assassination of 
opposition activist in northern Aleppo, 12 October 2022, url  
525 Syria Direct, ‘Accountability, or fall’: Syrian National Army’s Hamza Division under fire after assassination of 
opposition activist in northern Aleppo, 12 October 2022, url; Rudaw, US calls on radical group to leave Afrin 
'immediately’, 18 October 2022, url; Arab Weekly (The), In Syria’s northwest, rebel infighting threatens a fragile 
calm, 4 November 2022, url 
526 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 8 
527 HRW, World Report 2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url 
528 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 34 
529 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 22 
530 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 7, 39 
531 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url  
532 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
533 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: 
North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url 
534 Baladi News,  بلح يف  ماظنلا تايشيليم لاتتقاب نويندم ىحرج [Civilian casualties as a result of fighting amongst pro-
government militias in Aleppo city], 28 March 2023, url  
535 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Reuters, Turkey says military 
'neutralised' 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria, 14 June 2023, url 
536 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 35 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

period.537 As indicated by other sources, an operation named Claw-Sword was launched by 
Türkiye in November 2022 against positions of the SDF and GoS army in Aleppo 
governorate.538 With the start of Operation Claw-Sword, hostilities between Türkiye and 
SDF/YPG forces continued along the front line of Operation Peace Spring.539 Türkiye 
continued to periodically target SDF forces540 and carried out artillery and drone strikes on 
Kurdish-held positions in the governorate,541 such as on Kobane and Tall Rifaat in November 
2022542 or, after positions on the Turkish side of the border were attacked in June 2023,543 on 
Manbij and Tall Rifaat regions.544 In June 2023, a senior SDF/YPG commander was killed by a 
Turkish drone west of Manbij545 and the SDF/YPG answered by shelling a Turkish base east of 
A’zaz city the day after the drone attack, prompting further clashes between the two parties. 
According to the International Crisis Group, ‘[a]ttacks on both sides somewhat subsided late 
June’ 2023.546 

Infighting among anti-GoS armed groups 

Infighting between different anti-GoS armed groups in Turkish-controlled northern Aleppo was 
reported during the reference period,547 including in October 2022 between two SNA-
affiliated groups,548 causing civilian casualties.549 The situation reportedly escalated when 
political activist Muhammad Abu Ghanoum and his pregnant wife were killed in al-Bab city in 
eastern Aleppo in the first week of October 2022 by members of the al-Hamzah Division, 
which was subsequently attacked multiple times by the Third Legion.550 This infighting 
prompted HTS to launch an armed operation in northern Aleppo governorate551 and 

537 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 
January 2023, url 
538 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6; UNOCHA, 
2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 31; SNHR, 12th Annual 
Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 133 
539 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
540 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url 
541 Reuters, Turkey says military 'neutralised' 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria, 14 June 2023, url 
542 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
543 Reuters, Turkey says military 'neutralised' 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria, 14 June 2023, url; Kurdistan 24, 
Russian soldier allegedly killed in northern Aleppo: SOHR, 12 June 2023, url 
544 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url 
545 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – June 2023, 5 July 2023, url 
546 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
547 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, October – December 2022, 1 
May 2023, url, p. 10; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, 
para. 5; VOA, Jihadist Group Takes Over Strategic Town in Northwest Syria, 13 October 2022, url 
548 Jamus, A. R., Syrian jihadist group HTS, armed groups agree to uneasy truce, Al-Monitor, 23 October 2022, url; 
Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url  
549 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 5 
550 Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url 
551 Syrian Observer (The), Recap: HTS and Opposition Agreement in Northern Syria Following Turkish Intervention, 
21 October 2022, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

temporarily seize the city of Afrin,552 which had previously been controlled by SNA forces.553 
Türkiye then reportedly deployed forces in the area to put an end to the clashes.554  

ISIL activities 

As reported by the Counter Extremism Project analyst Gregory Waters, in the reference period 
ISIL carried out attacks in a number of Syrian governorates, including Aleppo.555 According to 
a June 2023 article of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, ISIL 
attacks had increased in northern Aleppo in the course of May and June 2023.556 In August, 
October and December 2022 as well as March, April and May 2023, up to two confirmed ISIL 
attacks occurred per month in Aleppo,557 including attacks on truffle pickers.558 No incidents 
were reported in July 2023 according to Gregory Waters.559 Furthermore, the US-led coalition 
and Türkiye reportedly killed and captured senior ISIL leaders in Aleppo governorate.560 

Israeli airstrikes 

Israeli airstrikes occurred in Aleppo governorate, targeting Aleppo airport several times during 
the reference period, as well as a military airport in the Aleppo countryside.561 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 2 735 security 
incidents recorded by ACLED in Aleppo governorate, of which 551 were coded as battles, 

552 Syrian Observer (The), Recap: HTS and Opposition Agreement in Northern Syria Following Turkish Intervention, 
21 October 2022, url; MEE, Syria: Turkey to reorganise rebel groups as HTS withdraws from Afrin, 25 October 
2022, url; Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url; Carter Center (The), 
Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, October – December 2022, 1 May 2023, url, pp. 10-11; 
International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; USDOS, 2022 Country Report on 
Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 47 
553 VOA, Jihadist Group Takes Over Strategic Town in Northwest Syria, 13 October 2022, url 
554 Syrian Observer (The), Recap: HTS and Opposition Agreement in Northern Syria Following Turkish Intervention, 
21 October 2022, url; Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, url 
555 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, CEP, 6 September 2022, url; Waters, G., 
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url 
556 Tasnim News Agency, Syrian Military Reinforces North of Damascus As Tensions Grow in SDF-Controlled Areas, 
20 June 2023, url  
557 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: 
The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria 
Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in 
October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, 
CEP, 6 September 2022, url 
558 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url  
559 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in July 2023, CEP, 2 August 2023, url 
560 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Al-Araby al-Jadeed,  يدايق لتقم
 بلح
 [Killing of important ISIL leader during security operation in norther Aleppo], 29 
April 2023, url; Shafaq News, Killing of ISIL leader and kidnapping of another during air raid in northern Syria, [  لتقم
ايروس لامش يوج  لازنإب رخآ لاقتعاو "شعاد" نم يدايق], 17 April 2023, url 
561 Independent (The), Israel's air force attacks Syria and Syrian air defense missile explodes over northern Israel, 2 
July 2023, url; International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Al Jazeera, Israel 
launches missile attack on Syria’s Aleppo airport: Gov’t, 22 March 2023, url; Al Jazeera, Israel launches deadly air 
raid on Aleppo airport: media, 1 May 2023, url; Al Jazeera, Syria says Israeli air raid takes Aleppo airport out of 
service, 7 March 2023, url; Al Jazeera, Second Israeli attack in a week damages Aleppo airport: Syria, 6 September 
2022, url; AP News, Reported Israeli strike damages Aleppo airport and puts it out of service, 28 August 2023, url 

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69 

 
 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

1 717 explosions/remote violence and 467 incidents of violence against civilians.562 Security 
incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in Jebel Saman, A’zaz and Afrin. By comparison, very few incidents were 
recorded in the district of As-Safira (see Figure 6). 

Figure 5. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Aleppo governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data563 

According to ACLED, GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were involved in around 49 % of 
all recorded security incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) during the reference 
period, particularly in incidents coded as explosions/remote violence and battles. Military 
forces of Türkiye were involved in around 30 % of all security incidents, the majority coded as 
explosions/remote violence. Opposition armed groups (HTS and affiliated armed groups were 
involved in around 17 % of all security incidents, SNA in around 17 % incidents, while SDF and 
affiliated armed groups were involved in around 12 % of all security incidents. 

562 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
563 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

70 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Afrin 

Ain Al Arab 

Al Bab 

As-Safira 

A’zaz 

Jarablus 

97 

10 

125 

2 

128 

16 

Jebel Saman 

145 

Menbij 

Total 

28 

551 

157 

169 

95 

1 

461 

34 

737 

63 

261 

13 

63 

3 

57 

9 

19 

42 

1717 

467 

Figure 6. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against 
civilians in Aleppo governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. Breakdown by 
district based on ACLED data564 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

According to the AOAV Explosive Violence Monitor for 2022, Aleppo was the Syrian 
governorate most affected in terms of civilian casualties in 2022, accounting for 34 % or 447 
incidents of civilian casualties. Furthermore, since 2012, Aleppo had consistently been one of 
the five most dangerous Syrian governorates for civilians.565 

564 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
565 AOAV, Explosive Violence Monitor 2022, 24 April 2023, url, p. 21 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

SNHR documented 231 civilian fatalities in 2021566 and 224 in 2022.567 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 171 civilian fatalities in Aleppo governorate.568 Of the 171 
civilian fatalities total recorded by SNHR between August 2022 and July 2023 in Aleppo 
governorate, around 15 were civilians originating from the governorate who drowned in June 
2023 while on migration routes to Europe.569  

Figure 7. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Aleppo governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

UN Habitat reported in May 2023 that, as a result of the Syrian conflict, 14 % of residential 
properties had become uninhabitable in Aleppo governorate.570 In January 2023, Human 
Rights Watch reported that ‘indiscriminate attacks by Syrian-Russian military forces on […] 
critical civilian infrastructure persisted in 2022’ in western Aleppo governorate.571 In the 
reference period, conflict-related damage to civilian infrastructure and objects,572 including 

566 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
567 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
568 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8. 
569 Syrian Network for Human Rights, email correspondence 7, 24 and 25 July 2023. See also SNHR, 501 Civilians, 
Including 71 Children, 42 Woman, and 20 Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in Syria, in the 
First Half of 2023, 2 July 2023, url, pp. 5, 10 
570 UN-Habitat, Syria Country Profile, 4 June 2023, url, p.1 
571 HRW, World Report 2023 – Syria, 12 January 2023, url 
572 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 8; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 5 

72 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

schools,573 health facilities574 and markets575 was also reported. Damage as a result of air 
strikes, furthermore, led to the suspension of flights at the Aleppo airport in March,576 April and 
May 2023.577  

According to UN sources, Aleppo was among the Syrian governorates with the highest 
percentages of some form of explosive contamination578 and among the governorates where 
contamination from UXOs represented a particularly major security concern and continued to 
be reported in 2022.579 The SNHR noted that 26 % of all landmine-related deaths it 
documented in Syria between March 2011 and early April 2023 were recorded in Aleppo 
governorate.580 The UN Secretary General in June 2023 reported that ‘[d]isplaced persons 
and rubble removers faced increased risk of being exposed to explosive ordnance’. 
Furthermore, an increase in explosive-related incidents in Aleppo governorate was reported 
after the February 2023 earthquakes in Aleppo governorate ‘as people moved back to or 
across contaminated areas.’581 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 1 267 887 IDPs in Aleppo governorate,582 
including 231 095 in A’zaz, 193 548 in Afrin, 106 324 in Al-Bab and 257 689 in Jebel Saman 
districts.583 Over the year 2022, there were approximately 18 000 IDP movements out of 
Aleppo and 15 000 IDP movements into the governorate as well as about 26 000 movements 
within the governorate.584 Between January and May 2023, there were approximately 25 272 
IDP movements out of Aleppo and 2 008 IDP movements into the governorate as well as 
about 59 479 movements within the governorate.585 The majority of IDP movements in Aleppo 
governorate in 2023 was recorded in February and attributed to the February earthquakes in 
the region.586 

573 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 30; UN 
Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 
A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 26 
574 Guardian (The), Turkey confirms deadly airstrikes in Syria and Iraq targeting Kurdish groups, 20 November 
2022, url; Shafaq News, Operation Claw-Sword: Turkey strikes in Iraq, Syria a week after Istanbul bombing, 20 
November 2022, url 
575 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 26, 82; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General 
[S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, Annex I, p. 20 
576 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 11 
577 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 8 
578 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 33; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 29 
579 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, pp. 12, 30 
580 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 20 
581 UN Security Council, Humanitarian needs in the Syrian Arab Republic, S/2023/419, 9 June 2023, url, para. 20 
582 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
583 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 
584 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url  
585 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 
586 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

The SNHR, according to USDOS, reported that more than 10 000 persons were displaced in 
Aleppo and Idlib governorates in August 2022 as a result of hostilities.587 SNHR further 
reported that the HTS military operations carried out in mid-October 2022 in western Aleppo 
cities, such as Ghazawiya and Deir Al-Ballout, led to forced displacement of around 13 000 
persons and directly affected more than 12 IDP camps.588 Air strikes and mutual shelling after 
the launching of Operation Claw-Sword by Türkiye in northern rural Aleppo and other 
governorates in November 2022,589 and Russian airstrikes in June 2023 also induced 
displacement.590 Most of the IDP movements in February 2023 occurred in earthquake 
affected areas, especially in Idlib and Aleppo governorates.591 

As regards returns, in 2022, UNOCHA recorded approximately 3 000 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements from Aleppo to other governorates and some 2 000 IDP returnee 
movements from other governorates into Aleppo as well as about 3 000 movements within 
Aleppo.592 Furthermore, Aleppo governorate continued to be the main area of return in Syria, 
accounting for 34 % of returns between January and mid-November 2022.593 Between 
January and May 2023, UNOCHA recorded approximately 571 IDP returnee movements from 
other governorates into Aleppo and about 3 992 returnee movements from Aleppo to other 
governorates as well as about 12 520 movements within the governorate.594 No further 
information on the reasons behind the return movements was found. 

587 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 65 
588 SNHR, 12th Annual Report: Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2022, 17 January 2023, url, p. 86 
589 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6 
590 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
591 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url 
592 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
593 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 58 
594 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 

74 

 
2.3.  Hama governorate  

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 8: © MapAction, Hama governorate595 

2.3.1.  General description of the governorate  

Hama governorate is located in west-central Syria596 and has internal borders with the 
governorates of Latakia and Tartous to the west, Idlib and Aleppo to the north, Raqqa to the 
north-east and Homs to the south and south-east.597 The governorate comprises five 
administrative districts: Hama, Misyaf (Masyaf), Muhardah (Muhradah), Suqailbiya (As-
Suqaylabiyah), and Salamiyah (As-Salamiyeh).598 A December 2022 UNOCHA report 
estimated the population of Hama governorate to be 1 485 590.599 Hama city’s population was 
estimated by the CIA in 2023 at 996 000.600 

595 MapAction, Hama governorate, 29 July 2016, url 
596 NPA, 3 people killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Hama – Russia, 13 March 2023, url 
597 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url 
598 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 135  
599 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
600 US, CIA, World Factbook, Syria, last updated: 1 August 2023, url  

75 

 
 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Information on the governorate’s religious composition can be found in an earlier issue of this 
report: EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (September 2022). 

2.3.2.  Conflict background and armed actors 

During the reference period, most of Hama governorate was under the control of the GoS,601 
except for a small strip of HTS-controlled land on its northwesternmost edge bordering Idlib602 
and pockets of ISIL presence in areas east bordering Aleppo, Raqqa and Homs.603 

Although the northwestern parts of Hama were reconquered by the GoS in a large-scale 
military offensive between April 2019 and March 2020 (which left nearly a million people 
displaced),604 conflict activity between the GoS and armed opposition groups605 remained high 
in those areas afterwards606 and included shelling/aerial bombardments by GoS607 and 
Russian forces.608 While the eastern areas of Hama had been free from ISIL activity for some 
time after October 2017609 when ISIL fighters encircled by GoS forces moved northward into 
south-eastern Idlib,610 the group resumed its actions in mid-2020, attacking and capturing 
villages611 and re-engaging in fighting with GoS forces and affiliated militias.612 Ultimately, 
however, ISIL lacked the capacity to hold on to these villages located ‘on the periphery of core 
regime territory’.613 Furthermore, the governorate experienced isolated Israeli attacks in recent 
years,614 including on targets tied to the GoS administration and armed forces.615 

A map on areas of control published by the Carter Center showed that as of June 2023, there 
were 671 control points in the governorate that could be attributed to the GoS and its allies 
(including Russian forces, Iranian forces, and pro-government militias).616 

601 Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in 
Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
602 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; iMMAP and 
USAID, Context Update: Northwestern Syria [Map], 4 May 2023, url, p. 1 
603 Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
604 AI, UN must continue cross-border aid regardless of UN Security Council or Syrian government approval, 12 May 
2023, url, p. 6  
605 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review | October-December 2021, 28 March 2022, url, p. 4 
606 UN Security Council, Escalating Conflict, Deepening Economic Crisis in Syria Pushing Humanitarian Needs to 
Highest Levels Since Start of Conflict, Senior Officials Tell Security Council, 24 August 2021, url  
607 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review | October-December 2021, 28 March 2022, url, p. 4 
608 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review | October-December 2021, 28 March 2022, url, p. 4; SNHR, The Most 
Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in April 2022, 7 May 2022, url, pp. 3, 20; ACLED, Regional Overview: 
Middle East 11-17 September 2021, 22 September 2021, url 
609 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url  
610 International Crisis Group, Containing Transnational Jihadists in Syria’s North West, 7 March 2023, url, p. 14 
611 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url  
612 See, for example, SOHR, ISIS attack | Four pro-regime militants killed in eastern countryside of Hama, 10 May 
2021, url  
613 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url  
614 MEE, Syria: Israeli air strikes reportedly kill 11 pro-government fighters, 9 June 2021, url; SOHR, Israeli attacks in 
2022 | 33 targets destroyed and nearly 70 people killed and wounded in 12 attacks so far, 15 May 2022, url  
615 SOHR, Israeli attacks in 2022 | 33 targets destroyed and nearly 70 people killed and wounded in 12 attacks so 
far, 15 May 2022, url  
616 Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url Set filters to Hama and June 2023. 

76 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Hama city hosts the base of the SAA’s new 25th Special Tasks Division (previously Tiger 
Forces),617 while the First, Second and Third brigades of the SAA’s Fifth Corps – extensively 
involved in military offensives there and in south Idlib – were based in northern Hama.618 The 
25th division, the Fifth Corps, as well as units of the NDF were reported to patrol the eastern 
Hama countryside.619 Moreover, the SAA’s Fourth Division operated a base in central Hama as 
well as checkpoints in the south, north-west and north-east620 and along the road connecting 
Hama city with Saraqib in Idlib.621 The Division recruited fighters from marginalised 
communities in villages located in the governorate’s north and in Salamiyah.622 

As of mid-2023, Jusoor for Studies mapped concentrations of sites of Russian and 
Iranian/Iran-backed forces around Hama city. Mainly Russian forces were present in areas 
north and northwest of the city, their sites extending towards the opposition-held areas 
bordering Idlib. Further sites of Iranian/Iran-backed forces were located in southern and 
eastern Hama as well as in the west,623 where pro-Iranian militias were stationed in Masyaf.624 

2.3.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

Military operations in northern and western Hama governorate 

The beginning of the reference period saw a continued intensification of bombardment by 
GoS forces and affiliated militias.625 Regular artillery attacks by these forces against a variety of 
military and civilian targets throughout the reference period up until May 2023,626 and these 
instances of shelling continued into June 2023. Sometimes supported by Russian forces,627 
these attacks hit towns and villages in western628 and northern areas of Hama, including the 
towns of Ziyara629 and Qastoun,630 causing several civilian casualties.631 On 19 January 2023, 

617 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 22; Waters, G, 
From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies, MEI, 12 September 2022, url  
618 Waters, G, From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies, MEI, 12 September 2022, url  
619 International Crisis Group, Containing a Resilient ISIS in Central and North-eastern Syria, 18 July 2022, url, p. 12 
620 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, p. 
5 
621 Rozana Radio, In Hama and Idlib: Exploitation of Human and Robbery of Land and Crops, 4 April 2022, url 
622 Shahhoud, A., Inside an Elite Syrian Military Unit’s Power Grab, New Lines Magazine, 16 May 2023, url  
623 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
624 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, p. 
20; VOA, Syrian State Media: Israel Fires Missiles at Western City, 12 March 2023, url  
625 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 08 September 2022, 8 September 2022, url  
626 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – May 2023, 5 June 2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: 
North-West Syria – 06 April 2023, 6 April 2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 05 
December 2022, 5 December 2022, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 03 November 2022, 3 
November 2022, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 04 October 2022, 4 October 2022, url  
627 Al Jazeera, Syrian gov’t bombs kill three people near Aleppo: White Helmets, 22 June 2023, url  
628 SNHR, Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in May 2023, June 2023, url, p. 1; SNHR, Most Notable 
Human Rights Violations in Syria in April 2023, 5 May 2023, url, p. 1 
629 Al Jazeera, Syrian gov’t bombs kill three people near Aleppo: White Helmets, 22 June 2023, url  
630 SNHR, Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in January 2023, 4 February 2023, url, p. 1 
631 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex 1, p. 20; SHRC, 
Five civilians, including children, wounded by Assad artillery shelling, 20 January 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

GoS forces632 launched ground-based strikes that hit a residential area in Qastoun in the 
western countryside of Hama, injuring five civilians.633 

The positions of GoS forces in western Hama were reportedly targeted by, the armed 
opposition groups HTS634 (in April 2023) and Jaysh al-Nasr (in July 2023).635   

ISIL insurgency 

ISIL continued to carry out attacks636 of an asymmetric nature, with small cells routinely 
conducting attacks in the governorate’s east.637 According to Gregory Waters, these attacks 
peaked in March (10 incidents)638 and April 2023 (7),639 with the average monthly rate 
increasing from 1.6 attacks in the final five months of 2022640 to 4.7 during the first half of 
2023.641 Meanwhile, NPA recorded an average rate of two attacks per month in the first six 
months of 2023.642 Dozens of civilians were killed or injured in ISIL attacks in rural and desert 
areas of eastern Hama.643 Moreover, ISIL abducted several civilians during the reporting 
period.644 

Multiple suspected ISIL attacks targeted civilians searching for truffles, notably in the 
Salamiyah area.645 The largest such attack took place on 16 April 2023, when ISIL militants 
ambushed a group of truffle-searching civilians in the village of Duwaizan in the eastern Hama 
countryside. According to state media, 26 people were killed in the attack,646 whereas the 

632 SHRC, Five civilians, including children, wounded by Assad artillery shelling, 20 January 2023, url 
633 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 20 
634 NPA, HTS targets government forces in Syria’s Hama, Aleppo, 15 April 2023, url  
635 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – July 2023, 10 August 2023, url  
636 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12; UN 
Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, url, para. 52 
637 UN Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, url, para. 52 
638 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url 
639 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url  
640 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url; Waters, G., 
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in November 2022, CEP, 5 December 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: 
The Central Syria Insurgency in October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central 
Syria Insurgency in September 2022, CEP, 4 October 2022, url 
641 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in June 2023, CEP, 6 July 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: 
The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria 
Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 
2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in February 2023, CEP, 3 March 
2023, url 
642 NPA, 552 people in Syria fall victim to ISIS attacks in first half of 2023, 8 July 2023, url  
643 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 31; BBC News, IS 
truffle picker attacks: At least 26 killed in Syrian desert ambush, 17 April 2023, url; SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 
people killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and landmine explosions, 22 April 2023, url; New Arab (The), 
Islamic State group kills 15 truffle hunters in Syria: war monitor, 24 March 2023, url; NPA, 552 people in Syria fall 
victim to ISIS attacks in first half of 2023, 8 July 2023, url 

645 SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 people killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and landmine explosions, 22 
April 2023, url  
646 BBC News, IS truffle picker attacks: At least 26 killed in Syrian desert ambush, 17 April 2023, url 

78 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

SOHR put the number of deaths at 36, 17 of whom - it said - were NDF militia members.647 ISIL 
attacks were followed by heavy airstrikes jointly carried out by GoS and Russian forces 
targeting positions and movements linked to suspected ISIL cells.648 

Israeli strikes 

There were several reports of Israeli strikes against targets in Hama governorate,649 including 
on scientific research centres in the towns of Masyaf650 and al-Safsafah651 as well as positions 
and weapons/ammunition depots of Iranian-backed militias in the Masyaf area.652 At least one 
attack (in March 2023) resulted in deaths of GoS soldiers.653 There were no reports of civilian 
casualties from Israeli attacks in the governorate. 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 557 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Hama governorate, of which 54 were coded as battles, 483 
explosions/remote violence and 20 incidents of violence against civilians.654  

Figure 8. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Hama governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data655 

647 SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 people killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and landmine explosions, 22 
April 2023, url  
648 Syrian Observer (The), More than 20 Raids: Russian-Syrian Air Force Intensifies Raids on Locations East of 
Hama, 6 April 2023, url 
649 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 16; NPA, Russia reveals number of intercepted Israeli missiles in 
Syria’s Masyaf, 27 August 2022, url; NPA, 3 people killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Hama – Russia, 13 March 2023, 
url; Al Jazeera, Israeli attacks on Syria in the past year: Timeline, 10 April 2023, url; SOHR, 2022 | Israel attacks 
Syria on 32 occasions, destroying 91 targets and killing and injuring nearly 235 people, 22 December 2022, url  
650 NPA, Russia reveals number of intercepted Israeli missiles in Syria’s Masyaf, 27 August 2022, url; NPA, 3 people 
killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Hama – Russia, 13 March 2023, url  
651 NPA, 3 people killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Hama – Russia, 13 March 2023, url  
652 Al Jazeera, Israeli attacks on Syria in the past year: Timeline, 10 April 2023, url; SOHR, 2022 | Israel attacks Syria 
on 32 occasions, destroying 91 targets and killing and injuring nearly 235 people, 22 December 2022, url  
653 NPA, 3 people killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Hama – Russia, 13 March 2023, url 
654 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
655 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of As-Suqaylabiyah. By comparison, very few incidents were 
recorded in the districts of Muhradah, Hama and Masyaf (see Figure 9). According to ACLED 
data, GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were the main actor involved in around 77 % of 
all recorded security incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) during the reference 
period, particularly in incidents coded as explosions/remote violence. Opposition armed 
groups (HTS and affiliated armed groups) were involved in around 22 % of all security 
incidents, particularly in incidents where GoS and affiliated armed groups were also an actor. 
Unidentified armed groups and ISIL were involved in around 11 % and 4 % of all security 
incidents, respectively. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

As-Salamiyeh 

8 

As-Suqaylabiyah 

42 

Hama 

Masyaf 

Muhradah 

3 

1 

- 

47 

416 

4 

9 

7 

14 

1 

5 

- 

- 

Total  

54 

483 

20 

Figure 9. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against 
civilians  in  Hama  governorate  between  1  August  2022  and  28  July  2023.  Breakdown  by 
district based on ACLED data656 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 88 civilian fatalities in 2021657 and 36 in 2022.658 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 76 civilian fatalities in Hama governorate.659 

656 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
657 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
658 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
659 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 

80 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Figure 10. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Hama governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

According to the International Crisis Group, the conflict has left entire districts of Hama in 
ruins.660 Furthermore, Hama was one of the governorates where contamination from UXOs 
was particularly widespread, including on roads, agricultural land and private property.661 
Notably, the governorate has experienced numerous conflict-related incidents that affected 
the condition of agricultural land (e.g., landmines, unexploded ordnance, shelling, arson and 
air/drone strikes).662 

The SNHR noted that 9 % of all landmine-related deaths it documented in Syria between 
March 2011 and early April 2023 were recorded in Hama.663 During the reference period, there 
were multiple reports of civilians, some of them children, being killed or injured by explosive 

660 International Crisis Group, Syria: Ruling over Aleppo’s Ruins, 9 May 2022, url, p. 2  
661 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
662 Insecurity Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria: Conflict, Hunger and Aid Access - April 2023, 
19 April 2023, url, p. 6 
663 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 20 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

remnants of war,664 including in Hama city’s eastern suburbs665 and in the northern,666 
western,667 eastern668 and south-eastern669 countryside of the governorate. 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 214 036 IDPs in Hama governorate,670 
including 162 317 in Hama district.671 Over the year 2022, there were approximately 2 400 IDP 
movements out of Hama and 1 400 IDP movements into the governorate as well as about 600 
movements within the governorate.672 During the first five months of 2023, there were 
approximately 200 IDP movements out of Hama and 140 IDP movements into the governorate 
as well as 115 movements within the governorate.673 No information on the reasons behind the 
displacement movements was found. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 2 000 IDP returnee 
movements from other governorates into Hama and about 9 000 spontaneous IDP returnee 
movements from Hama to other governorates as well as about 4 000 movements within 
Hama.674 During the first five months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded approximately 380 
spontaneous IDP returnee movements from other governorates into Hama and about 6 000 
IDP returnee movements from Hama to other governorates as well as about 80 movements 
within Hama.675  

664 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex 1, p. 18; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, Annex 1, p. 20; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, Annex 1, p. 20; NPA, 
Remnants of war kill child, injure others in Syria’s Hama, 24 June 2023, url; SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 people 
killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and landmine explosions, 22 April 2023, url; SNHR, On the International 
Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to Plague Large Areas of Syria and 
Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, pp. 26-27  
665 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex 1, p. 18 
666 NPA, Remnants of war kill child, injure others in Syria’s Hama, 24 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of 
the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, Annex 1, p. 20 
667 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, Annex 1, p. 20; SNHR, 
On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to Plague Large 
Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 27 
668 SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 people killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and landmine explosions, 22 
April 2023, url 
669 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex 1, p. 18 
670 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
671 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 
672 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
673 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
674 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
675 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, April 2023, 7 August 2023, https://reliefweb.int/attachments/e950ec2a-6ef1-
4d8b-9538-6e4d14e4df9a/IDPspontReturns_202304_Apr_FV_En.pdf; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

As for factors possibly affecting returns, the USDOS reported that in Hama, IDPs were often 
denied access to their places of origin due to GoS-imposed restrictions.676 Moreover, starting 
from mid-2020, GoS-affiliated administrative bodies seized plots of land owned by refugees 
and IDPs, offering it in public auctions, a practice reported as being especially prevalent in the 
western and northern countryside of Hama.677 Some former residents also feared being 
arrested in retaken or previously besieged areas.678 No further information on reasons behind 
the returns movements was found. 

More recent data on conflict-induced displacement and spontaneous returns by UNOCHA was 
not available at the time of writing this report. UN Security Council reports covering the first 
five months of 2023 did not contain any further information on displacement from or returns to 
Hama governorate.679  

676 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 65 
677 STJ, Syria/Hama: The Security Committee Usurps IDPs and Refugees’ Properties, 26 April 2022, url 

679 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

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2.4. 

Latakia governorate  

Map 9: © MapAction, Latakia governorate680 

2.4.1.  General description of the governorate  

Latakia governorate is situated in north-western of Syria and it borders Türkiye to the north, 
Idlib governorate to the north-east, Hama governorate to the east, Tartous governorate to the 
south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.681 Latakia is divided into four administrative 
districts, from north to south: Latakia, Al-Haffa, Al-Qardaha, Jablah.682 In a report published in 

680 MapAction, Syria 2013-2015, Latakia Governorate [map], last updated: 29 July 2016, url 
681 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Lattakia Governorate Reference Map (as of February 2016), 29 February 2016, 
url 
682 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic. Governorates Profiles, June 2014, url, p. 19 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

December 2022, UNOCHA estimated the population of Latakia governorate to be of 
1 295 334.683  

For more information on the ethnic and religious composition of Latakia’s population, see the 
EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (July 2021). 

2.4.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Latakia governorate continues to be predominantly under the GoS control.684 However, anti-
GoS armed groups still control parts of the governorate685 as HTS controls a strip of territory 
located in the north-eastern part of Latakia governorate.686 UN Security Council reported that 
Al-Qaida maintains a low-profile presence in the north of Latakia with its local branch, Hurras 
al-Din (HaD).687 Jusoor Studies reported that, as of July 2022, Iranian forces were deployed in 
15 locations; Russian military posts were present in 14 locations; Turkish forces in 2 
positions.688 The same source observed that, as of mid-2023, there are 33 foreign forces sites 
in the governorate.689   

Hmeimin Air Base, a Russia military base, is operational in the governorate.690  In an article 
published in February 2023, Carnegie Endowemnt for International Peace noted that the 
Russian forces had withdrawn from some areas of Latakia. Such areas were reportedly swiftly 
reoccupied by pro-Iranian Hezbollah fighters. Moreover, the same source observed that the 
most experienced Russian military personnel has been gradually transferred to Ukraine while 
less qualified soldiers are being replaced in Syria.691 Meanwhile, some sources stated that 
Russian forces, originally withdrawn and transferred to Ukraine, had been sent back to Syria, 
leading to a resurgence of Russian military activity since the beginning of the war in 
Ukraine.692 

683 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
684 Jusoor Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, 2 January 
2023, url 
685 Mehr News, Terrorists renew bomb attacks on Hama, Idlib, Latakia, 24 January 2023, url; see the Map in 
OHCHR – UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: Syrian Arab Republic : Approximate areas of 
influence as of December 2022, [map], January 2023, url; VOA news, Jihadis Kill 11 Soldiers in Northwest Syria, 
Monitor Says,  1 February 2023, url 
686 (The) Defence Post, Jihadists Kill 11 Soldiers in Northwest Syria Attacks: Monitor, 2 February 2023, url; (The) 
Carter Centre, Exploring historical control in Syria, [interactive map], url; DIS, DIS – Danish Immigration Service, 
Syria - Recruitment to opposition groups, December 2022, url, p. 24 
687 UN Security Council, Thirty-first report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted 
pursuant to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities 
[S/2023/95], 13 February 2023, url, para.49, p. 12 
688 Jusoor Studies, Map of foreign forces’ points in Syria- mid 2022, 22 July 2022, url 
689 Jusoor Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria – mid 2023, 3 July 2023, url 
690 NPA, Terrorist groups prepare to attack Russian base in Syria – Khmeimim, 5 November 2022, url 
691 Smagin, N., Moscow’s Original “Special Operation”: Why Russia Is Staying in Syria, Carnegie Endowment for 
International Peace, 7 February 2023, url 
692 Boussel, P., US Al-Tanf Military Garrison: The Epicenter of Tumult, EPC, 16 January 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.4.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

As indicated by UNCOI report covering the period between 1 July and 31 December 2022, 
several airstrikes attributed to Israel occurred in Latakia,693 resulting in the activation of the 
GoS anti-aircraft fire in response.694 UNOCHA also reported of ‘targeted’ airstrikes in 2022 
hitting airports and ports, including in Latakia governorate.695 In December 2022, HTS 
launched a series of raids on GoS positions in northern Latakia, which were temporarily 
interrupted due to the earthquakes. On 26 February 2023 the military operations have 
resumed and HTS conducted new attacks on GoS positions in Latakia.696  

In January 2023 clashes were also documented between GoS and HTS in northern Latakia, 697 
whereby anti-GoS armed groups of the Fath al-Mubin Operations Room conducted attacks 
against GoS troops using infiltration tactics.698  In February 2023, SOHR reported shelling fired 
by the anti-GoS forces in GoS-controlled areas in Nahshaba surroundings in northern 
Latakia.699 In the same month, HTS attacked government headquarters in Jabal al-Akrad, 
northeast of Latakia city. Militants of the group infiltrated in the government premises and the 
clash resulted in 10 dead among GoS forces700  

In April 2023, SNHR reported on GoS forces conducting artillery attacks in Latakia suburbs, 
nearby the dividing lines with armed opposition groups.701 In late May 2023, in northern 
Latakia, HTS killed a Russian colonel,702 the highest-ranking Russian officer killed by anti-GoS 
since 2016.703 Etana reported that some Russian sources claimed that the colonel had been 
killed by ISIL in Homs.704 As a consequence, Russia intensified airstrikes on anti-GoS held 
areas in Idlib to an unprecedented level since late 2021 resulting in killing of civilians also in 
Latakia.705 Likewise, Etana noted an intensified airstrikes attacks by Russia forces involving 
also the northern Latakia governorate,706 targeting the so-called de-escalation zone.707 In June 

693 AP, UN envoy: Military escalation in Syria is `dangerous’, 30 November 2022, url; UN Human Rights Council 
Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 
February 2023, url, para.16, p. 4 
694 UN News, UN envoy warns against ‘worrying and dangerous’ military escalation in Syria, 29 November 2022, url 
695 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
696 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
697 SNHR, Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in January 2023, 4 February 2023, url, p. 2 
698 Al Monitor, Turkey faces tough options on Syrian rebel allies amid Damascus thaw, 20 January 2023, url 
699 SOHR, “Putin-Erdogan” area | Factions target positions of regime forces in Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia, 24 
February 2023, url 
700 The Cradle, Clashes erupt between Syrian army and HTS in Latakia, 05 February 2023, url; New Arab (The),  
HTS claims attack against Syrian regime soldiers in Latakia province, 4 February 2023, url 
701 SNHR Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in April 2023, 5 May 2023, url, p. 1 
702 SOHR, “De-escalation zone” | Commander-in-chief of Russian Special Tasks Forces killed in HTS attack in rural 
Latakia, 29 May 2023, url; Memri, Syrian Opposition Sources: Russian Colonel Killed By Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) 
In Northwest Syria, 29 May 2023, url; Newsweek (The), Russian Colonel Killed After Direct Strike on His Command 
Post—Reports, 29 May 2023, url; International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
703 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
704 Etana, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – May 2023, url 
705  International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url  
706 Etana, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria, June 2023, url  
707 SOHR, “Putin-Erdogan” area in May 2023 | Resumption of airstrikes by Russian fighter jets…Russian officer 
among 29 fatalities in acts of violence…escalation of anti-HTS protests, 1 June 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2023, Russian airstrikes were recorded hitting Idlib countryside, Wadi Khaled IDP camp and 
several villages in the north of Latakia resulting in at least 16 civilians killed and dozens 
severely injured. GoS forces intensified attacks through artillery strikes targeting more than 
three dozen of towns across Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo provinces. In total, these attacks 
resulted in at least five civilian deaths and dozens of additional injuries, among them 
numerous children.708 In July 2023, a drone attack conducted by unknown actor, likely to be 
identified in HTS, targeted the Russian base in Hmeimin.709  

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 263 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Latakia governorate, of which 74 were coded as battles, 185 
explosions/remote violence and 4 incidents of violence against civilians.710  

Figure 11. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Latakia governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data711 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Al-Hafa and Latakia. By comparison, very few incidents were 
recorded in the districts of Al-Qardaha and Jableh (see Figure 12). According to ACLED, GoS 
and Russian forces were the main actor (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) involved in 
around 93 % of all security incidents, particularly in incidents coded as explosions/remote 
violence. Anti-GoS armed groups were involved in around 64 % of all recorded security 
incidents during the reference period, particularly in incidents where GoS and affiliated armed 
groups were also an actor. 

708 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url  
709 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url  
710 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
711 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Al-Hafa 

Al-Qardaha 

Jablah 

Latakia 

Total 

55 

1 

3 

15 

74 

105 

2 

1 

77 

185 

- 

1 

1 

2 

4 

Figure 12. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Latakia governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data712 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented two civilian fatalities in 2021713 and four civilian fatalities in 2022.714 
Between August 2022 and July 2023, SNHR documented seven civilian fatalities in Latakia 
governorate (four were documented in the period August – December 2022 and three 
between January and July 2023).715 Of the seven civilian fatalities documented by SNHR 
during the reference period, two were civilians who drowned in September 2022 while on 
migration routes from Syria to Europe.716 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

As reported by Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, all regions of Syria are affected by the 
presence of landmines, either commercially manufactured or improvised. The type of 

712 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
713 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
714 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
715 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
716 EUAA email correspondence with SNHR, 4 and 7 July 2023. 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

landmines varies according to the armed groups present in the area.717 UNOCHA confirmed 
that the conflict resulted in a wide ordnance contamination throughout the country.718  

World Food Programme outlined Latakia governorate as one of the most affected 
governorates by the two earthquakes occurred in February 2023.719  

No further information on conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of 
war in Latakia for 2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 447 947 IDPs in Latakia governorate.720 In 
the period between January and December 2022, UNOCHA reported 2 000 IDP movements 
from Latakia governorate, 5 000 displaced within the governorate and 5 000 IDP movements 
to the governorate.721 For the period between January and June 2023, UNOCHA recorded a 
total of 231 movements of IDP from Latakia, while IDP movements to or within the governorate 
were recorded.722 As of 18 February 2023, UNOCHA reported of 172 000 people who have 
been displaced in Latakia as a result of the February earthquakes.723  

In terms of returns, UNOCHA recorded the spontaneous return of 2 000 IDP from Latakia 
governorate and 2 000 return movements within the governorate in 2022.724 In its 
Humanitarian Needs Overview, UNOCHA observed that the pace of return to areas bordering 
the frontline in northern part of Latakia will likely continue.725 Nonetheless, during the period 
between January and June 2023, UNOCHA recorded 7 IDP returns to the governorate and 39 
returns of IDP from governorate. For the same period, UNOCHA did not record any returns 
within the governorate.726 

717 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, Syria impact, last updated: 15 
November 2021, url  
718 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 81 
719 World Food Programme, WFP Syria Situation Report #2, February 2023, 28 February 2023, url, p. 1 
720 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
721 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan – Dec. 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
722 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements 
(March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA,  
Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
 Movements (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
723 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic - Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Coordinated Response Flash Update #13 -– 
Earthquake (As of 18 February 2023), 18 February 2023, url 
724 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan -– Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 18 May 2023, url  
725 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, UNOCHA, 
Humanitarian Response Plan, url, p. 87 
726 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian  
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
 Spontaneous Returns (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns 
 (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August  
2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 

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2.5.  Tartous governorate  

Map 10: © MapAction, Tartous governorate map727  

2.5.1.  General description of the governorate  

The governorate of Tartous borders Latakia governorate to the north, the governorates of 
Hama and Homs to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the west and Lebanon to the south.728 
The governorate is divided into five administrative districts: Banyas (Baniyas), Sheikh Badr, 

727 MapAction, Syria Governorate Maps – Tartous Governorate, last updated on 29 July 2019, url  
728 UNOCHA Reference Map, 9 May 2016, url 

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Dreikish, Safita, and Tartous City729 which are in turn subdivided into 27 sub-districts.730 In a 
December 2022 report, UNOCHA estimated the population of Tartous governorate to be 
948 274.731 

The governorate is considered a ‘regime stronghold’.732 However, changes in the traditional 
pattern of loyalty expressed by Alawites toward the government have been observed,733 
consisting mainly in a series of anti-government protests over the past few years. This is 
reportedly due to the high inflation, unappealing government employments, spread of poverty 
and criminality, remarkable number of deaths caused by the war among the Alawite 
community.734 

2.5.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

For the reference period, Tartous governorate was under the control of GoS.735 The Russian-
led naval facility in Tartous is still operational and it represents the only Russian naval foothold 
in the Mediterranean, in use since the days of the Soviet Union.736  

2.5.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

In August 2022, Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian targets with multiple attacks in proximity of Tartous 
military naval base with the aim of preventing Iran from expanding its influence. According to 
SOHR, airstrikes in Tartous targeted an air defence base, where Iranian-backed groups are 
active. Reportedly, three soldiers were killed and three were wounded.737 In March 2023, 
Israel reportedly launched rocket strikes hitting Tartous countryside. The attack resulted in 
three military personnel injured. Strikes are reportedly part of an escalation of a low-intensity 
conflict aimed at limiting Iran’s influence in the area.738 

During the reference period there were few reports of targeted attacks against GoS forces 
and civilians which led to casualties.739 

729 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic – Governorates Profiles, June 2014, url, p. 31 
730 UNHCR, UNHCR Syria / Tartous FO, End of year 2017 / Factsheet, January – December 2017, url, p. 1 
731 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
732 (The) Arab reform initiative, Protest Movements in Tartous: Dynamics and Implications, 27 June 2023, url 
733 Financial Times (The), Economic crisis begins to crack the bedrock of Assad’s Alawi support, 13 April 2021,  url  
734 (The) Arab Reform Initiative, Protest Movements in Tartous: Dynamics and Implications, 27 June 2023, url 
735 (The) Carter Centre, Exploring historical control in Syria, [interactive map], url; Liveuamap, Syria, as of 21 June 
2023, url; iMMAP (Author), published by ReliefWeb: Context Update: Northwestern Syria | October 4, 2022, 4 
October 2022, url, p. 1; Jusoor Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 
2023, December 2022, [map], url  
736 Al Jazeera, Assad welcomes new Russian bases in Syria after Putin meeting, 16 March 2023, url 
737 Al Jazeera, Three Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli missile attacks: Report, url, 15 August 2022; Reuters, Israeli 
strikes hit Iranian targets near Russia's Mediterranean bases, 15 August 2022, url; VOA News, Syrian State Media 
Says 3 Killed in Israeli Attacks, 14 August 2022, url  
738 Business Standard (The), Israel hits areas in Hama and Tartous countryside, 12 March 2023, url 
739 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were six security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Tartous governorate, of which one was coded as battles, three were 
coded as explosions/remote violence and two as incidents of violence against civilians. 
According to ACLED, unidentified armed groups were involved (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or 
‘Actor2’) in the incidents coded as violence against civilians, while Israeli forces were involved 
in the incidents coded as explosions/remote violence.740 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR did not document any civilian fatalities in 2021 and 60 civilian fatalities in 2022. 
However, all 60 civilian fatalities documented in 2022 were civilians originating from Tartous 
governorate who drowned while on migration routes from Syria to Europe.741 There were no 
civilian fatalities documented by SNHR in in Tartous governorate during the first seven months 
of 2023.742 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

SNHR reported that no death related to landmines have been recorded in Tartous during the 
period between March 2011 and 4 April 2023.743 As reported in the UN Syria Multi-sector 
Needs Assessment of 2022, the Global Shelter Cluster assessed that 1 % of the assessed 
shelters in Tartous governorate consisted of damaged buildings.744 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 180 735 IDPs in Tartous governorate.745 
Between January and December 2022, UNOCHA recorded 1 000 IDP movements from the 
governorate, 3 000 IDP within the governorate and 3 000 IDP to the governorate. Most of IDP 
movements to Tartous governorate originate from Aleppo (around 1 000) and Homs (around 
900), while most of the IDP movements from Tartous were to Lattakia (around 800).746  For the 
period between January and June 2023, UNOCHA did not record any IDP movement from 
and to Tartous. Likewise, no displacement within the governorate has been documented.747  

740 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
741 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
742 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA. 
743 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url p. 20 
744 Global Shelter Cluster, Syrian Arab Republic: Whole of Syria Shelter and NFI Sector Humanitarian Needs  
Overview, 14 February 2023, url, p. 6 
745 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
746 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan – Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
747 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements 
 (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: 
IDP Movements (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

However, UN Security Council reported that Tartous is one of the most affected governorates 
by the February earthquakes resulting in displacement of individuals fleeing both in GoS-held 
areas and in anti-GoS held in north-western areas.748  

In terms of return, UNOCHA indicated that, in 2022, Tartous was one of the governorates with 
the fewest recorded returns together with Raqqa and Quneitra.749 UNOCHA recorded 5 IDP 
returns to Tartous and 2 000 returnee movements from the governorate in 2022.750 During 
the period between January and June 2023, UNOCHA recorded 5 IDP returns from the 
governorate.751 No further information on displacement or returns could be found within the 
constraints of the research. No information on the reasons behind the displacement or returns 
movements was provided by the sources. 

748 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.3 
749 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 23 
750 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
751 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian  
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
 Spontaneous Returns (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns  
(April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August  
2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 

93 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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2.6.  Homs governorate  

Map 11: © MapAction, Homs governorate map752 

2.6.1.  General description of the governorate  

Homs governorate is located in central Syria and has borders with Iraq to the east and 
Lebanon to the west. It has internal borders with Deir Ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hama, Tartous, and Rural 
Damascus governorates.753 The Syrian E-Government website stated that Homs governorate 
shares an international border with Jordan to the east as well.754 UNOCHA mentioned in a 
December 2022 report that Homs governorate comprises six administrative districts: Homs, Al 
Makhrim, Al-Qusayr, Ar-Rastan, Tadmor (Palmyra) and Tall Kalakh.755 Homs was the largest 
governorate in Syria in terms of surface, and the third in terms of population, as of May 2014. 
The capital of the governorate is Homs city which is also the central city of Homs district.756 In 
a December 2022 report, UNOCHA estimated the population of Homs governorate at 
1 502 706.757 For information on the ethnic and religious composition of the population of 
Homs, see the EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security situation (July 2021).  

752 MapAction, Homs Governorate, 29 July 2016, url 

753 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url 
754 Syria, E-Government, ةيروس نع [About Syria], n.d., url 
755 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 135 
756 UN-Habitat, City Profile – Homs: Multi Sector Assessment, May 2014, url, p. 5 
757 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 

94 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2.6.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Different maps produced by various sources show that Homs governorate is under GoS 
control.758 A map produced by the UN further shows some ISIL presence in the east of the 
governorate and a so-called US-declared 55-km deconfliction area759 stretching between the 
southeast of the governorate and neighbouring Rural Damascus governorate around Al-
Tanf,760 controlled by US troops and the Free Syrian Army (FSA),761 formerly known as 
Mughawir al-Thawra (MaT),762 a rebel group763 consisting of former Syrian military officers.764 

In the reference period, the Fourth Armoured Division of the GoS army was deployed in 
several Syrian governorates, including Homs.765 As noted in an October 2022 Enab Baladi 
article, the Fourth Division had no large military sites in Homs governorate, but security offices 
and military roadblocks along with some military points deployed in the eastern part of the 
governorate, where there was ISIL cell activity.766 Furthermore, the 25th Special Tasks Division 
was also reported to have recruitment offices in Homs governorate.767 In the first half of 2023, 
Enab Baladi articles indicated that the GoS had deployed reinforcements to Talbiseh city768 in 
the context of unrest and armed confrontations in the city related to drug dealing groups.769 

Homs governorate, according to a DIS interview with SNHR in August 2022, was among the 
Syrian governorates under Iranian ‘influence’770 and continued to house Iranian military 
positions.771 According to a Jerusalem Post article, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian forces 
operated in the neighbourhood of the Al-Dabaa airbase near Al-Qusayr in the reference 

758 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 
2 January 2023, url; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 
2022 [Map], January 2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Exploring 
Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Homs and June 2023. 
759 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
760 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
761 Syria TV, Coalition Commander Meets Free Syrian Army Command at Al-Tanf Base, The Syrian Observer, 26 
January 2023, https://syrianobserver.com/uncategorized/81433/coalition-commander-meets-free-syrian-army-
command-at-al-tanf-base.html 
762 New Arab (The), US-backed Syrian opposition militia changes name amid reforms, 25 October 2022, url; Al-
Monitor, Drone attack hits Tanf US base in Syria, 20 January 2023, url; Syria Direct, US-backed Maghawir al-
Thawra commander replaced, amid internal disagreements and corruption allegations, 5 October 2022, url  
763 Edwards, M., and Al-Homsi, O., Jordan returns refugees to desolate Syrian border camp, rights groups cry 
foul, TNH, 16 September 2020, url  
764 TWI, The Future of al-Tanf Garrison in Syria, 6 December 2021, url  
765 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 21 
766 Enab Baladi,  ءاتشلا باوبأ ىلع جارحلا راجشأ لغتست ”ةعبارلا ةقرفلا“ ..صمح [Homs: The Fourth Division exploits forest 
trees at the gates of winter], 28 October 2022, url  
767 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 22 
768 Enab Baladi, ةسيبلت  طيحم ىلإ ةيركسع تازيزعتب عفدي ماظنلا ..صمح [Homs: The regime sends military reinforcements 
to the vicinity of Talbiseh], 25 May 2023, url; Enab Baladi, صمح فيرب ”ةسيبلت“ تاهجاوم بقع تازيزعتو ينمأ رتوت 
[Security tensions and reinforcements after confrontations in Talbiseh in rural Homs], 24 March 2023, url; 
769 Enab Baladi, تاردخملا راجت نم تاعومجم نيب تاهجاومب ىحرجو ىلتق ..صمح [Homs: Injuries and deaths during 
confrontations between drug dealing groups], 1 December 2022, url; Enab Baladi,  ةيفلخ ىلع تاقرط  عطق ..صمح
ويديف
 )
ةسيبلت
January 2023, url 
770 Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units [source: online interview with SNHR on 23 
August 2022], April 2023, url, p. 21 
771 ISW and CTP, Iran Update, March 1, 2023, 1 March 2023, url 

 [Homs: Blocked roads due to the arrest of renown men in Talbiseh (Video)], 5 

ءاهجو

لاقتعا

 يف

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

period,772 an area which has been a centre of Hezbollah’s activity since 2012.773 According to 
The Jerusalem Post, Hezbollah had a drone development unit in the area.774 In April 2023, Al-
Qusayr was reportedly under the complete control of Hezbollah, while the Al-Dabaa airbase, 
about 20 km southwest of Homs city and 10 km north of Al-Qusayr, constituted ‘a major land 
crossing route of the corridor from Syria to Lebanon’.775 Meanwhile, an April 2023 Reuters 
article indicated that Hezbollah was the dominant actor in Al-Qusayr city.776 ISW and CTP 
reported that some Iranian-backed Iraqi militants, in February 2023, had travelled to Homs 
governorate from other positions in the country.777 As of March 2023, Iranian-backed militias 
continued to have positions in Tadmor (Palmyra), where they were storing drones.778 

Moreover, as of spring 2023, ISIL was still in control of Wadi Doubayat,779 south of Al-
Sukhnah,780 as well as the western and eastern mountains around Al-Kawm and briefly 
managed to take over the control of Khirbet al-Muqam village in early April 2023, north of Al-
Kawm,781 and an unspecified key oil field town in Homs governorate from GoS and Russian 
forces in October 2022.782 The Carter Center in June 2023 reported that ISIL, notwithstanding 
the February 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye and the overall reduction in violence, 
continued to remain active in the Badia desert region.783 A July 2023 UN Security Council 
report indicated that ISIL continued to carry out asymmetric attacks in Homs governorate but 
‘at a relatively lower frequency’ while regular attacks by small cells occurred on a regular basis 
in north Tadmor (Palmyra).784 

772 Jerusalem Post (The), Second IRGC adviser dead in third airstrike in Syria in a week, 2 April 2023, url  
773 Jerusalem Post (The), Alleged Israeli airstrikes target Homs in Syria, injure three civilians, 29 April 2023, url  
774 Jerusalem Post (The), Alleged Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah drone unit in west Syria – report, 22 
December 2022, url  
775 Alma, Syria – Four Days (March 30-April 02), Three Airstrikes (Damascus and Homs), Two Iranian IRGC 
Casualties, 2 April 2023, url  
776 Reuters, Syria says Israel hits Homs outposts, sources say air bases bombed, 2 April 2023, url 
777 ISW and CTP, Iran Update, February 27, 2023, 27 February 2023, url 
778 ISW and CT, Iran Update, March 31, 2023, 31 March 2023, url 
779 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in February 2023, CEP, 3 March 2023, url  
780 Waters, G., ISIS beats back Wagner offensive in central Syria, MEI, 21 April 2023, url 
781 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url  
782 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 
October 2022 – 31 December 2022, 7 February 2023, url, p. 10 
783 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, January – March 2023, 12 
June 2023, url, p. 1 
784 UN Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant 
to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), 
Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the 
Security Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, url, para. 52 

96 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2.6.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

In the reference period, ISIL regularly launched lethal attacks in various governorates, among 
which Homs,785 including attacks on civilians and against GoS forces786 in eastern Homs787 as 
well as attacks on pro-GoS militias.788 ISIL reportedly further clashed with NDF and SAA units 
near Arak village in February 2023.789 In November 2022, Russia reportedly resumed 
airstrikes against ISIL positions in the governorate.790 ISIL attacks in Homs governorate were 
further reported, for example, near the city of Al-Sukhnah791 and south of Al-Kawm village.792 
Gregory Waters in the summer of 2023 reported that ISIL activity in Homs governorate 
continued793 and that ISIL apparently had an intention to ‘re-enter Homs via the southern 
countryside around Maheen [Mahin, Mheen] and Qaryatayn’.794  

According to the International Crisis Group, after a number of high-intensity attacks during the 
season of truffle harvesting, ISIL activity in central Syria decreased in May 2023 and the GoS 
downscaled major operations against ISIL in eastern Homs.795 Reportedly, ISIL fought GoS and 
Russian Wagner forces around Al-Kawm continuously until mid-April 2023,796 when the month-
long GoS offensive with the aim of securing the strategic village in northeast Homs from ISIL 
came to an end.797 An ISIL attack on 9 April 2023 on the outskirts of Jubb Al-Jarrah, 30 miles 
(or around 48 km) from Homs city, according to Gregory Waters, was ‘one of the western-most 
ISIS [ISIL] attacks in more than a year’.798 In June 2023, a GoS general was reportedly killed in 
an IED attack by ISIL in the city of Homs, which, according to the International Crisis Group, 
was the first attack in Homs city since 2017.799 In one major attack carried out by ISIL in 

785 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
786 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The 
Central Syria Insurgency in October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central 
Syria Insurgency in September 2022, CEP, 4 October 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria 
Insurgency in August 2022, CEP, 6 September 2022, url 
787 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 5; Waters, G., ISIS 
Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url 
788 ACLED, ACLED Regional Overview - Middle East (10 - 16 September 2022), 22 September 2022, url 
789 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in February 2023, CEP, 3 March 2023, url  
790 ACLED, ACLED Regional Overview - Middle East (29 October - 4 November 2022), 10 November 2022, url 
791 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
792 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url  
793 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url  
794 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in June 2023, CEP, 6 July 2023, url  
795 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
796 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url  
797 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS 
Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url 
798 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url  
799 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

February 2023 on truffle pickers in Homs governorate in Al-Sukhnah, 53800 to 68 individuals,801 
mainly civilians and some military personnel, were killed.802  

In the reference period, Israel carried out airstrikes in Homs governorate.803 Israeli airstrikes 
reportedly occurred in areas near the city of Homs,804 the Shayrat air base,805 and an alleged 
drone development unit site belonging to Hezbollah at the Al-Qusayr airport.806 Reportedly, 
some of the attacks resulted in casualties among civilians807 and military personnel.808 

In August 2022, Iranian-affiliated groups reportedly attacked the US-controlled Al-Tanf base in 
Homs governorate,809 although no casualties were reported.810 Military personnel was 
reportedly injured in drone attacks on the base in January 2023 by undisclosed 
perpetrators.811 Furthermore, it was reported that the IDP camp Al-Rukban, situated in the Al-
Tanf area close to the borders with Jordan and Iraq,812 continued to be besieged by GoS and 
Russian forces.813  

(b)  Security incidents  

During the period 1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023, there were 215 security incidents recorded 
by ACLED in Homs governorate, of which 80 were coded as battles, 81 explosions/remote 
violence and 54 incidents of violence against civilians.814 

800 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics, January – March 2023, 12 
June 2023, url, p. 1; Guardian (The), Syria: at least 53 people killed while truffle hunting in suspected IS attack, 
17 February 2023, url  
801 Germany, BAMF, Briefing Notes, 20 February 2023, url, p. 10 
802 Germany, BAMF, Briefing Notes, 20 February 2023, url, p. 10; BBC News, Islamic State accused of killing 
truffle hunters in Syria, 17 February 2023, url 
803 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; Independent (The), Israel's 
air force attacks Syria and Syrian air defense missile explodes over northern Israel, 2 July 2023, url; UN Human 
Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 
A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 16; ISW and CTP, Iran Crisis Update, November 13, 13 November 
2022, url 
804 Independent (The), Israel's air force attacks Syria and Syrian air defense missile explodes over northern 
Israel, 2 July 2023, url; SNHR, Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in April 2023, 5 May 2023, url, p. 
3; ISW and CTP, Iran Update, April 3, 2023, 3 April 2023, url 
805 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; ISW and CTP, Iran Crisis 
Update, November 13, 13 November 2022, url 
806 Jerusalem Post (The), Alleged Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah drone unit in west Syria – report, 22 
December 2022, url  
807 SANA, Three civilians injured during Israeli attack on locations near Homs [ ناودع ءارج  نييندم ةثلاث ةباصإ
صمح طيحم يف   اطاقن فدهتسا  يليئارسإ], 29 April 2023, url  
808 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url; CBS News, Israeli airstrike 
on Syrian base kills 2 soldiers, wounds 3 others, 13 November 2022, url  
809 International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url 
810 AP News, US: Drone attack targets US base in Syria, no casualties, 15 August 2022, 
https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-middle-east-iran-syria-324b3753c01dc8f6056ecbf7570fffa4 
811 International Crisis Group, Al-Tanf, Syria, 31 July 2023, url  
812 NPA, Syria’s Rukban IDPs face long bumpy road towards self-sufficiency, 12 July 2023, url  
813 Al Jazeera, Assad normalisation leaves Syrians in Rukban camp fearing future, 28 May 2023, url; SETF, 
Rukban, n.d., url 
814 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 
2023), url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Figure 13. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Homs governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data815 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Tadmor. By comparison, very few incidents were recorded in the 
district of Tall Kalakh (see Figure 14). According to ACLED, GoS forces and affiliated armed 
groups were involved in around 61 % of all incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’). 
Unidentified armed groups participated in around 47 % of all recorded security incidents 
during the reference period; in more than half, civilians were also involved as an actor. ISIL 
was involved in 38 % of all security incidents, particularly in incidents coded as ‘battles’ where 
GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were the other actor. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Al Makhrim 

Al Qusayr 

Ar Rastan 

Homs 

Tadmor 

Tall Kalakh 

Total  

2 

4 

8 

16 

49 

1 

80 

8 

5 

5 

20 

42 

1 

81 

6 

6 

15 

17 

10 

- 

54 

815 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 
2023), url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Figure 14. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Homs governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 28 civilian fatalities in 2021816 and 37 in 2022.817 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 73 civilian fatalities in Homs governorate.818 

Figure 15. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Homs governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data  

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Al Jazeera reported on increased attacks near the IDP camp Rukban in the Al-Tanf 
deconfliction area, including a drone attack on a health clinic critical for the camp residents in 
January 2023.819 Within the time constraints of this report, no further information on attacks on 
health facilities or civilian infrastructure and objects in Homs governorate in the reference 
period was found.  

816 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 
1 January 2022, url, p. 11 
817 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
818 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 
Civilians, Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented 
Killed in July 2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
819 Al Jazeera, Assad normalisation leaves Syrians in Rukban camp fearing future, 28 May 2023, url  

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In the reference period, civilians were killed and injured by explosive devices of war for 
example in Duwayzin, located on the border between Hama and Homs,820 such as in the area 
of Al-Haswiya.821 According to UNOCHA, Homs is among the Syrian governorates where 
contamination from UXOs represents a particularly major security concern and continued to 
be reported in 2022.822 A November 2022 Enab Baladi article indicates that ERWs in Homs 
city continued to claim the lives of civilians, although the city has been entirely in control of 
GoS forces since 2018. Reportedly, ERWs were not yet removed from residential areas. They 
included mines which were planted along past contact lines as well as remnants of cluster 
bombs used by GoS forces in the northern rural areas of Homs and the Al-Houla plain against 
opposition factions as well as in the Badia desert against ISIL. The article indicates that 
children and farmers were particularly affected by the dangers posed by ERW and that they 
have ‘become a constant concern for the residents’ in the area.823 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022, there were 299 525 IDPs in Homs governorate,824 
including 189 147 in Homs district.825 Over the year 2022, there were approximately 1 960 IDP 
movements out of Homs and 960 IDP movements into the governorate as well as about 35 
movements within the governorate.826 No information on the reasons behind the displacement 
movements was found. No conflict-induced IDP movements were recorded in Homs 
governorate by UNOCHA between January and May 2023.827 

As regards returns, in 2022, UNOCHA recorded no spontaneous IDP returnee movements 
from Homs to other governorates and some 6 000 IDP returnee movements from other 
governorates into Homs as well as 3 000 movements within Homs.828 Between January and 
May 2023, UNOCHA recorded approximately 83 IDP returnee movements from other 
governorates into Homs and no returnee movements from Homs to other governorates, as 
well as about 233 movements within the governorate. The movements occurred in January 
and March, while in the other months no movements were recorded.829 No further information 
on the reasons behind the returns movements was found. 

820 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS 
Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url 
821 SNHR, 99 Civilians, Including Eight Children, and Seven Women Documented Killed in Syria, in April 2023, 1 
May 2023, url, p. 5 
822 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
823 Enab Baladi, Mines and war remnants in Homs still fatal danger, no response, 9 November 2022, url  
824 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
825 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 
826 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 
May 2023, url  
827 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 
828 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  

829 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 

102 

 
 
 
2.7.  Hasaka governorate 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 12: © MapAction, Hasaka governorate830 

2.7.1.  General description of the governorate  

Hasaka (Al-Hasakah) governorate is located in the north-eastern corner of Syria and shares 
borders with the governorates of Raqqa to the west and Deir Ez-Zor to the south-west. It also 
shares international borders with Türkiye to its north and Iraq to its east.831 Its capital, Hasaka, 
is located in the centre of the governorate.832 The governorate comprises four administrative 
districts: Hasaka, al-Malikiya (al-Malikeyyeh), Qamishli (Quamishli) and Ras al-Ayn (Ras al-
Ain).833 A December 2022 UNOCHA report estimated the governorate’s population at 
1 206 229.834 

The governorate has an ethnic Kurdish majority. Most areas north of the Hasaka city have a 
predominantly Kurdish population (like Qamishli and al-Malikiya) or a mixed Kurdish-Arab 

830 MapAction, Al-Hasakeh governorate, 29 July 2016, url 
831 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas, 
Syrian Arab Republic, January 2017, url, p. 12  
832 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas: Al Hasakeh Governorate Reference Map, 2017, url  
833 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, pp. 133-134 
834 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

population (like Ras al-Ayn).835 The governorate’s south is mainly inhabited by Arabs.836 The 
Tal Tamr area has a Christian population, with villages inhabited by Assyrians837 and 
Armenians.838 The governorate is also home to Yazidis.839 The cities of Qamishli and Hasaka 
are divided into Kurdish and Arab districts, with Kurds forming a majority in Qamishli but a 
minority in Hasaka.840 

Information on the governorate’s political landscape, as well as its economic and strategic 
importance can be found in an earlier issue of this report: Syria – Security situation (July 2021), 
section. 2.7.1. 

2.7.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Since Turkish forces seized control of Ras al-Ayn from the SDF in autumn 2019,841 the Ras al-
Ayn area experienced frequent mutual bombing between Turkish forces/SNA and the SDF.842 
In the rear of the Turkish incursion, ISIL cells resumed organising attacks,843 staging a large-
scale attack on Hasaka city’s Ghwaryan prison in January 2022.844 Kurdish forces launched 
anti-ISIL operations in Hasaka city845 and its countryside.846 Meanwhile, the GoS, supported by 
its allies Russia847 and Iran,848 sought to strengthen its influence and military presence in the 
region.  

835 Balanche, F., Sectarianism in Syria’s Civil War, TWI, 2018, url, pp. 52, 56 
836 Balanche, F., Sectarianism in Syria’s Civil War, TWI, 2018, url, p. 52; Balanche, F., The Fragile Status Quo in 
Northeast Syria, TWI, 1 July 2020, url  
837 Holmes, A. A., Despite Ceasefire Agreement, Turkey Implicated In More Than Eight Hundred Violations, CFR, 13 
October 2020, url 
838 ANHA, Armenians and Syriacs: Turkish threats spares neither component, 3 June 2022, url  
839 Syria Direct, Yazidis’ long struggle against landlessness and discrimination in rural Hasakah, 4 April 2023, url; 
Ya’qoube, L., Afrin’s Yazidis: an ancient culture edges toward the precipice, KCS, 20 January 2023, url  
840 Balanche, F., Iraq and Syria: Kurdish Autonomous Regions Under Threat, Groupe d’études géopolitiques, 4 
March 2023, url  
841 TWI, The SDF Is Caught Between Turkey and the Islamic State Again, 12 October 2022, url 
842 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 83 
843 Balanche, F., Iraq and Syria: Kurdish Autonomous Regions Under Threat, Groupe d’études géopolitiques, 4 
March 2023, url 
844 Washington Post (The), Prison break: ISIS fighters launched a brazen attack to free their comrades, 3 February 
2022, url  
845 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 82 
846 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 82; Syria Direct, When the sun sets, SDF control over 
northeastern Syria’s highways wanes, 14 June 2022, url  
847 Al-Khateb, K., Syrian government reportedly building tribal force in Hasakah, Al-Monitor, 22 April 2021, url  
848 Al-Khateb, K., Syrian government reportedly building tribal force in Hasakah, Al-Monitor, 22 April 2021, url; Al-
Ahmed, S., “Carpet weaving” east of the Euphrates: Iranian proxy groups expand their influence in Syria’s Hasakah 
Province, MEI, 12 September 2022, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

During the reference period, Kurdish forces (SDF/YPG) controlled most of Hasaka 
governorate849 and were supported by US-led coalition forces.850 US troops patrolled the 
countryside near the Syrian-Turkish border.851 

Meanwhile, Türkiye controlled a part of northern Hasaka that belonged to a territory roughly 
delimited by Ras al-Ayn in the east, Tall Abyad (Raqqa) in the west, the Syrian-Turkish border 
in the north and the M4 motorway in the south852 This area has been referred to as the 
Operation Peace Spring area.853 The SNA operated in this area854 and controlled the stretch of 
border between Ras al-Ayn and Tall Abyad.855 

GoS forces controlled several zones (security enclaves)856 in and around the cities of Hasaka 
and Qamishli857 which also hosted sites of Iranian and Russian forces.858 In addition, GoS 
forces were granted permission by the SDF to pass between GoS held and Kurdish-controlled 
territories.859 Along with Russian troops,860 they maintained presences along the Syrian-
Turkish border and the front lines between the Kurdish-controlled and Turkish-held areas.861 In 
response to Türkiye’s warnings of a potential new military campaign against Kurdish forces in 
border areas, the GoS reinforced its presence in northern Hasaka’s borderlands in mid-
2022.862 

2.7.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

The conflict between the SDF and Turkish forces/Turkish-backed armed groups 

The UN Secretary-General in February 2023 characterised the security situation in Hasaka 
governorate as ‘volatile’.863 The UNCOI, reporting on the second half of 2022, noted that there 

849 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
850 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 50 
851 Al Arabiya, Attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria will draw prompt response, Tehran warns, 25 March 2023, url  
852 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url 
853 Al-Hilu, K., The Turkish Intervention in Northern Syria: One Strategy, Discrepant Policies, EUI, 14 January 2021 
[first published in Arabic on 21 December 2020], url, p. 6 
854 Denmark, DIS, Syria: Recruitment to Opposition Groups [source: Suhail Al-Ghazi], December 2022, url, p. 16 
855 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 14 
856 Al-Khateb, K., Syrian government reportedly building tribal force in Hasakah, Al-Monitor, 22 April 2021, url  
857 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
858 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
859 Al Shami, I., How the Autonomous Administration Leadership and Civilians Will View a Turkish Incursion into 
Northeast Syria, TWI, 18 July 2022, url  
860 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
861 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
862 BasNews, Syrian Regime Deploys Reinforcement to North of Hasakah amid Turkish Threats, 17 July 2022, url  
863 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 30 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

were continuing reports of security incidents in the vicinity of SNA-controlled areas or the 
Syrian-Turkish border, including around Tal Tamr.864 

These frontline incidents included ground-bases strikes,865 airstrikes866 and drone strikes.867 
The intensity of these attacks varied over time, with a significant decrease recorded by the UN 
in February/March 2023. However, Hasaka’s front line zones remained one of the most 
conflict-affected areas in Syria.868 There were a number of reports of alleged Turkish drone 
strikes targeting SDF personnel,869 and several instances of drone strikes,870 heavy shelling871 
and gunfire872 by Turkish forces which caused civilian casualties.873 

Attacks by Turkish forces reportedly intensified in northeastern Syria during the second half of 
2022.874 In November 2022, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword,875 carrying out a series 
of air, drone and artillery strikes876 targeting SDF and GoS military sites in the governorate.877 
Some strikes also hit non-military infrastructure such as grain silos, oil fields and power 
stations,878 including in the al-Jawadiya, Qamishli879 and al-Malikiya (Derik) areas, killing at least 
one civilian.880 During the first half of 2023, NPA recorded 11 Turkish drone strikes in the 
governorate.881 In what Jusoor for Studies viewed as a shift of modus operandi,882 targets of 

864 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 109 
865 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Appendix I, p. 18; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, Appendix I, p. 20 
866 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6 
867 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 109 
868 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 8, 29 
869 See, for example, Rudaw, SDF says two fighters killed by Turkish drone in Hasaka, 5 May 2023, url; Asharq Al-
Awsat, SDF Commander Killed in Turkish Drone Attack, 15 April 2023, url 
870 SOHR, SDF-held areas in January 2023 | Nearly 50 deaths in acts of violence…21 attacks by ISIS cells…over 15 
infightings and crimes…deteriorating security, 7 February 2023, url; UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: 
Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 21 
871 SOHR, SDF-held areas in May 2023 | Nearly 30 fatalities in acts of violence…deteriorating security…over 25 
infightings and murder crimes…11 protests against deteriorating living conditions, 5 June 2023, url  
872 SOHR, SDF-held areas in February 2023 | 35 fatalities in acts of violence…seven attacks by ISIS cells…over ten 
infightings and murder crimes…deteriorating security, 5 March 2023, url  
873 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 21; UN Human 
Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 
A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 112; SOHR, SDF-held areas in February 2023 | 35 fatalities in acts of 
violence…seven attacks by ISIS cells…over ten infightings and murder crimes…deteriorating security, 5 March 2023, 
url; SOHR, SDF-held areas in May 2023 | Nearly 30 fatalities in acts of violence…deteriorating security…over 25 
infightings and murder crimes…11 protests against deteriorating living conditions, 5 June 2023, url 
874 Synergy Association For Victims (Hevdesti), The Increase of Turkish Attacks on Northeast Syria Threatens 
Civilians’ Lives and Jeopardizes their Basic Rights, 9 January 2023, url  
875 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6  
876 Atlantic Council, he risks and rewards of Erdogan’s next military operation, 1 December 2022, url  
877 SOHR, SOHR: Turkish airstrikes in Syria kill pro-regime soldiers and Kurdish forces, 20 November 2022, url  
878 SOHR, Alarming living crises | Turkish airstrikes on vital institutions and infrastructure affect civilians in Al-
Hasakah countryside, 26 November 2022, url  
879 Syria Direct, Days of airstrikes and rumblings of a long-threatened Turkish offensive in northern Syria after 
Istanbul bombing, 25 November 2022, url 
880 HRW, Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian Crisis, 7 December 2022, url  
881 NPA, North Press records 34 Turkish drone strikes on north Syria in 2023, 22 June 2023, url  
882 Jusoor for Studies, Turkish pinpoint operations in Syria against the PKK: Details and indications, 2 February 
2023, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Turkish drone strikes since early 2023 also included vehicles carrying PKK883 and SDF 
members.884 Moreover, attacks were conducted deeper within SDF-controlled territory (more 
than 60 km south of the Syrian-Turkish border). Turkish intelligence also launched a security 
operation early January 2023 that led to the killing of two officials of the PKK-allied Turkish 
Communist Party - Marxist-Leninist (TKP-ML) at their homes north of Hasaka city.885 

Operation Peace Spring area 

In the Operation Peace Spring area itself, several civilians were shot dead by Turkish forces 
during the reference period.886 Moreover, there were a number of security incidents affecting 
various armed actors, including attacks of members of SNA, Turkish police and Civil Police, as 
well as instances of infighting among military police, SNA887 and other armed factions.888 There 
were also reports of IED attacks in this zone, mainly occurring in residential areas and 
markets.889 

ISIL insurgency 

ISIL attacks in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) were reported 
to have increased significantly during the second half of 2022890 and continued to occur in 
2023. Incidents in Hasaka targeted members of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces891 
(Asayish892) and SDF893 as well as civilians in the governorate.894 Over the first half 2023, the 
NPA recorded an average rate of two ISIL attacks per month,895 with three attacks in June 
2023.896  

883 Jusoor for Studies, Turkish pinpoint operations in Syria against the PKK: Details and indications, 2 February 
2023, url  
884 Al-Monitor, Turkey conducts drone strike against Kurdish forces in Syria, 4 August 2023, url  
885 Jusoor for Studies, Turkish pinpoint operations in Syria against the PKK: Details and indications, 2 February 
2023, url  
886 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in June 2023 | Public protests against corruption and violations committed by 
Turkish-backed factions…dreadful living conditions…nearly 30 cases of kidnapping and arbitrary arrests, 2 July 
2023, url; SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in February 2023 | Assassinations target “National Army” militiamen and 
ongoing violations by Turkish-backed factions, 2 March 2023, url 
887 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in April 2023 | Public uprising against Turkish forces…ongoing violations by 
Turkish-backed factions…nearly 55 cases of arbitrary arrests, 4 May 2023, url 
888 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in March 2023 | Turkish-backed factions continues their violations against civilians, 
amid ongoing infightings over property and revenue-sharing, 2 April 2023, url  
889 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 20  
890 TWI, The SDF Is Caught Between Turkey and the Islamic State Again, 12 October 2022, url; SOHR, ISIS attacks 
in SDF-held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 operations and attacks by ISIS since early 
December 2022, 26 December 2022, url 
891 SOHR, ISIS attacks since early 2023 | 25 people, mostly combatants, killed and injured in over 14 operations in 
SDF-held areas, 14 January 2023, url  
892 Enab Baladi, SDF operations in al-Hol camp: The “dismemberment plan”, 6 September 2022, url  
893 SOHR, ISIS attacks in SDF-held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 operations and 
attacks by ISIS since early December 2022, 26 December 2022, url 
894 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 5; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 7; SOHR, ISIS attacks in SDF-
held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 operations and attacks by ISIS since early 
December 2022, 26 December 2022, url 
895 NPA, 552 people in Syria fall victim to ISIS attacks in first half of 2023, 8 July 2023, url  
896 NPA, 678 people killed, injured in Syria in June, 2 July 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Meanwhile, the SDF conducted anti-ISIL security operations in rural areas in the governorate’s 
south (Dashisha town)897 and south-east,898 as well as in Hasaka city,899 sometimes with the 
support of the US-led coalition.900 

Al-Hol camp 

The security situation in Al-Hol camp, which houses suspected ISIL family members was 
described by UNOCHA as ‘volatile’901 and was characterized by ‘high levels of violence, 
criminality and social tensions’ among its residents,902 with reports of killings by unidentified 
perpetrators.903 ISIL was present in the camp and its surroundings while the AANES (which 
oversees and manages the camp) and the SDF had limited capabilities to address petty crime, 
riots and clashes between camp residents and against guards.904 Moreover, SDF leadership 
claimed that Turkish airstrikes targeted its forces in the camp in November 2022.905 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 1 104 security 
incidents recorded by ACLED in Hasaka governorate, of which 148 were coded as battles, 686 
explosions/remote violence and 270 incidents of violence against civilians. 906 

Figure 16. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Hasaka governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data907 

897 NPA, SDF captures ISIS leader in southern Hasakah, 15 May 2023, url  
898 SOHR, Supported by International Coalition | SDF storms a house in Al-Hasakah and kills person accused of 
“belonging to ISIS”, 11 June 2023, url 
899 Kurdistan 24, SDF arrests suspected ISIS financier in Hasakah city, 6 September 2022, url  
900 SOHR, Supported by International Coalition | SDF storms a house in Al-Hasakah and kills person accused of 
“belonging to ISIS”, 11 June 2023, url; NPA, SDF captures ISIS leader in southern Hasakah, 15 May 2023, url  
901 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
902 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 30 
903 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 21 
904 RAND Corporation, In the Wreckage of ISIS: An Examination of Challenges Confronting Detained and Displaced 
Populations in Northeastern Syria, 2023, url, p. 52 
905 France 24, Turkish strikes target Kurdish forces guarding Syrian detention camp, 23 November 2022, url; 
Rudaw, Turkish attack on camp, prison holding ISIS families kills 8 security members: SDF, 24 November 2023, url 
906 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
907 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the districts of Hasaka and Ras Al Ain. By comparison, very few incidents were 
recorded in the district of Malikeyyeh (see Figure 17). According to ACLED, Turkish forces and 
affiliated armed groups (SNA) were involved (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) in around 
64 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as explosions/remote violence and 
where SDF and affiliated armed groups were also an actor. SDF and affiliated armed groups 
were involved in around 59 % of all security incidents, the vast majority being coded as 
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians. Unidentified armed groups and ISIL 
were involved in around 10 % and 6 % of all security incidents, respectively. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Hasaka 

Malikeyyeh 

Qamishli 

Ras Al Ain 

86 

3 

20 

39 

Total 

148 

313 

38 

98 

237 

686 

171 

7 

27 

65 

270 

Figure 17. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Hasaka governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

(c)  Civilian fatalities 

SNHR documented 154 civilian fatalities in 2021908 and 74 in 2022909  in Hasaka governorate. 
Between August 2022 and July 2023, SNHR documented 52 civilian fatalities in Hasaka 
governorate.910 For the year 2022, AOAV documented 190 civilian casualties (killed and 
injured) in Hasaka resulting from incidents of explosive violence.911 

908 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
909 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
910 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
911 AOAV, Syria, updated 21 March 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Figure 18. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Hasaka governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Hasaka was one of the governorates where contamination from UXOs was most widespread, 
including on roads, agricultural land and private property,912 with areas previously controlled 
by ISIL showing the highest levels of contamination.913 The Turkish strikes in November 2022 
hit key infrastructure in parts of the governorate, including grain silos, oil fields and power 
stations, putting some installations out of service.914 During the first quarter of 2023, NPA 
recorded 12 deaths from explosive remnants of war in Hasaka governorate.915 Civilian 
casualties from landmine explosions were recorded in the vicinity of Ras al-Ayn916 and in the 
eastern917 and north-western countryside of Hasaka,918 amongst others. 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 331 573 IDPs in Hasaka governorate,919 
including 126 030 in Hasaka subdistrict.920 Over the year 2022, there were approximately 

912 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
913 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 8 
914 SOHR, Alarming living crises | Turkish airstrikes on vital institutions and infrastructure affect civilians in Al-
Hasakah countryside, 26 November 2022, url; HRW, Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian 
Crisis, 7 December 2022, url 
915 NPA, Remnants of war kill 331 people in 1st quarter of 2023 in Syria, 4 April 2023, url  
916 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 22; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, Annex I, p. 21 
917 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 22 
918 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 18 
919 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
920 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

1 000 IDP movements out of Hasaka and 2 000 IDP movements into the governorate as well 
as about 3 000 movements within the governorate.921 During the first five months of 2023, 
there were 135 IDP movements out of Hasaka, most of them (86) occurring in May, while there 
were no IDP movements into the governorate and within the governorate reported.922  

The UN noted that the negative impact of local hostilities on civilian lives and key civilian 
infrastructure prompted civilians to flee their homes923 and that residents’ conflict-related 
exposure to displacement persisted across the northern region in the first half of 2023.924 For 
example, in June 2023, local residents were displaced when heavy artillery fire by Turkish 
forces and their proxies hit the villages of Al-Sousah, Farhiyah Ramo and Tel Al-Laban in the 
Tal Tamr area.925  

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 3 640 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements from Hasaka to other governorates and about 220 IDP returnee 
movements from other governorates into Hasaka as well as about 360 movements within 
Hasaka.926 During the first five months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 55 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements from other governorates into Hasaka and 67 IDP returnee movements 
from Hasaka to other governorates, all of these movements occurring in March and May 2023. 
Returnee movements within the governorate were not reported.927 

No further information on conflict-induced displacement or returns for 2023 could be found 
within the constraints of the research. 

921 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
922 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
923 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
924 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 63 
925 SOHR, SDF-held areas in June 2023 | Nearly 60 fatalities in acts of violence…deteriorating security 
situation…nearly 30 infightings and murder crimes…19 protests against deteriorating living conditions, 5 July 2023, 
url  
926 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
927 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.8.  Raqqa governorate  

Map 13: © MapAction, Raqqa governorate928 

2.8.1.  General description of the governorate  

Raqqa (Ar-Raqqa) governorate is located in the north-central part of Syria. The governorate 
borders Aleppo governorate to the west, Hasaka and Deir Ez-Zor governorates to the east, 
and Hama and Homs governorates to the south. It also shares an international border with 
Türkiye to its north.929 The governorate comprises three administrative districts: Raqqa, al-
Thawra (Ath-Thawrah) and Tall Abyad (Tell Abiad).930 A December 2022 UNOCHA report 
estimated the governorate’s population at 754 295.931 

The majority of Raqqa governorate’s population is ethnic Arab.932 Further information on the 
governorate’s ethnic composition can be found in an earlier issue of this report: Syria - 
Security situation (September 2022). 

928 MapAction, Ar Raqqa Governorate [map], 29 July 2016, url 
929 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas, 
Syrian Arab Republic, January 2017, url, p. 15 
930 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 134 
931 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
932 Kurdistan 24, Protests erupt in Arab-majority Raqqa over deteriorating living conditions, 11 January 2022, url  

112 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2.8.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

During the reference period, Kurdish forces (SDF/YPG) controlled about half of the territory of 
Raqqa governorate, including its capital, Raqqa city.933 SDF operations were supported by US-
led coalition forces934 who also maintained a presence in Raqqa city.935 

Most of the northern section of the governorate was part of a Turkish-controlled territory 
roughly delimited by Tall Abyad in the west, Ras al-Ayn (Hasaka) in the east, the Syrian-Turkish 
border in the north and the M4 motorway in the south.936 This area has been referred to as the 
Operation Peace Spring area.937 The SNA operated in this area938 and controlled the stretch of 
border between Tall Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.939 In July 2023, Türkiye reinforced its military 
presence in the Ayn Issa area at the contact line between Turkish/SNA forces and the SDF.940 

Meanwhile, the governorate’s southern portion was controlled by the GoS.941 GoS forces were 
granted permission by the SDF to pass between GoS held and Kurdish-controlled territories.942 
Along with Russian troops,943 they maintained presences along the Syrian-Turkish border and 
the front lines between the Kurdish-controlled and Turkish-held areas.944 

A number of additional Russian military sites were located the town of Ayn Issa as well as 
along the stretch of the river basin between the M4 motorway and Raqqa city, as depicted on 
a mid-July 2023 map by Jusoor for Studies. Further south, numerous Iranian sites were 
situated along the contact line between the SDF-held territories and those held by the GoS.945 

933 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
934 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 50 
935 NPA, US-led Coalition returns to Syria’s Raqqa after years of withdrawal, 23 October 2022, url  
936 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url 
937 Al-Hilu, K., The Turkish Intervention in Northern Syria: One Strategy, Discrepant Policies, EUI, 14 January 2021 
[first published in Arabic on 21 December 2020], url, p. 6 
938 Denmark, DIS, Syria: Recruitment to Opposition Groups [source: Suhail Al-Ghazi], December 2022, url, p. 16 
939 Tsurkov, E., The Gangs of Northern Syria: Life Under Turkey’s Proxies, New Lines Institute for Strategy and 
Policy, December 2022, url, p. 14 
940 NPA, Turkey sends military reinforcements to contact lines with SDF in Raqqa, 5 July 2023, url  
941 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of influence and crossings in the Syrian opposition areas [as of December 2022], 
31 January 2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
942 Al Shami, I., How the Autonomous Administration Leadership and Civilians Will View a Turkish Incursion into 
Northeast Syria, TWI, 18 July 2022, url  
943 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
944 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
945 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

South of Raqqa city, in GoS-controlled territory, there was a zone with ISIL presence.946 The 
Critical Threats project stated that ISIL cells in the governorate were likely ‘lying low’ to avoid 
pressure from SDF and US-led coalition forces.947  

2.8.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

The conflict between the SDF and Turkish forces/Turkish-backed armed groups 

During the second half of 2022, there were continuing reports of security incidents in the 
vicinity of the Syrian-Turkish border or SNA-controlled areas, including around Ayn Issa948 and 
Tall Abyad.949 These front line incidents included ground-based strikes950 and drone strikes.951 
The intensity of these attacks varied over time, with a significant decrease recorded by the UN 
in February/March 2023.952 However, the UN Secretary-General emphasised that Raqqa’s 
front line zones remained one of the areas most affected by hostilities.953  

Attacks by Turkish forces reportedly intensified in northern Syria during the second half of 
2022.954 In November 2022, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, carrying out a series of 
airstrikes in the northern countryside of Raqqa, Hasaka and Aleppo governorates,955 one of 
which targeted an SDF site in the Ayn Issa area.956 

Alleged Turkish drone strikes between September and December 2022 killed several 
civilians957 and SDF-backed militia members958 in northern Raqqa’s Tall Abyad district/Ayn Issa 
area. However, the first half of 2023 only saw one Turkish drone strike, according to the 

946 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
947 CTP, ISIS Will Leverage Improved Attack Capabilities to Generate Forces in Syria, 2 December 2022, url  
948 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 109 
949 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12  
950 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 18; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 22 
951 SOHR, Death toll update | Three civilians killed including child in Turkish drone attack on car in Al-Raqqa, 17 
December 2022, url; SOHR, After issuing death sentences against 13 Turkish informants | Turkish drone attack on 
Al-Raqqa countryside leaves four fighters killed, 16 September 2022, url  
952 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 8 
953 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para. 29 
954 Synergy Association For Victims (Hevdesti), The Increase of Turkish Attacks on Northeast Syria Threatens 
Civilians’ Lives and Jeopardizes their Basic Rights, 9 January 2023, url  
955 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 6  
956 Al Mayadeen, Turkey launches Operation Claw-Sword against SDF, PKK, YPG, 20 November 2022, url  
957 SOHR, Third Turkish drone attack in 2023 | Child injured in Al-Raqqah countryside, 7 January 2023, url; SOHR, 
Death toll update | Three civilians killed including child in Turkish drone attack on car in Al-Raqqa, 17 December 
2022, url 
958 SOHR, After issuing death sentences against 13 Turkish informants | Turkish drone attack on Al-Raqqa 
countryside leaves four fighters killed, 16 September 2022, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

NPA.959 Meanwhile, ground-based attacks in the same area also caused several casualties 
among civilians960 and the SDF.961 

Operation Peace Spring area 

In the Operation Peace Spring area, at least one civilian man was shot dead by Turkish 
Jandarma, while unidentified gunmen killed members of Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah962/ the SNA 
near the town of Tall Abyad.963 In April 2023, an explosion in the same area killed a Turkish 
police officer and a Syrian member of the Civil Police and wounded 11 other members of these 
entities.964 

ISIL insurgency 

ISIL continued to conduct asymmetric attacks in the governorate as of the first half of 2023.965 
From August 2022, attacks attributed to ISIL intensified in Raqqa,966 reflecting a wider trend 
across the AANES.967 According to Gregory Waters, incidents in the governorate peaked 
August968 and December,969 with an average monthly rate of 2.8 over the last five months of 
2022.970 On 26 December 2022, suspected ISIL members, some wearing explosive belts, 
attacked an area of Raqqa city housing the headquarters of the SDF’s Internal Security Forces 
(Asayish), anti-terrorism units, and a military intelligence prison holding around 200 ISIL 
prisoners. Six SDF members were killed in the attack.971 While incidents attributed to ISIL, 
including IED attacks, continued in rural Raqqa during the first half of 2023,972 Waters 

959 NPA, North Press records 34 Turkish drone strikes on north Syria in 2023, 22 June 2023, url  
960 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 18; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 22 
961 BasNews, Turkish Shelling Kills SDF Member in North of Raqqa: SOHR, 12 October 2022, url  
962 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in June 2023 | Public protests against corruption and violations committed by 
Turkish-backed factions…dreadful living conditions…nearly 30 cases of kidnapping and arbitrary arrests, 2 July 
2023, url  
963 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in February 2023 | Assassinations target “National Army” militiamen and ongoing 
violations by Turkish-backed factions, 2 March 2023, url  
964 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in April 2023 | Public uprising against Turkish forces…ongoing violations by 
Turkish-backed factions…nearly 55 cases of arbitrary arrests, 4 May 2023, url  
965 UN Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, url, para. 52 
966 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url; SOHR, ISIS 
attacks in SDF-held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 operations and attacks by ISIS since 
early December 2022, 26 December 2022, url 
967 TWI, The SDF Is Caught Between Turkey and the Islamic State Again, 12 October 2022, url; SOHR, ISIS attacks 
in SDF-held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 operations and attacks by ISIS since early 
December 2022, 26 December 2022, url  
968 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, CEP, 6 September 2022, url  
969 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url  
970 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, CEP, 6 September 2022, url; Waters, G., 
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in September 2022, CEP, 4 October 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The 
Central Syria Insurgency in October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria 
Insurgency in November 2022, CEP, 5 December 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in 
December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url  
971 Al Jazeera, Attacks in Syria’s Raqqa kill several Kurdish security officers, 26 December 2022, url  
972 NPA, ISIS attacks in 2023, so far, 21 January 2023, url; Kurdistan 24, Two SDF members killed by IED in Raqqa: 
SOHR, 28 April 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

recorded a drop in intensity, with a maximum of 3 incidents in a single month (March)973 and an 
average monthly rate of 1.17 attacks. In July 2023, the same source recorded three ISIL 
attacks, the same number recorded between April and June 2023.974 However, other sources 
recorded as many as seven ISIL attacks in early January975 and an average rate of 3.33 attacks 
per month over the same six-month period.976 In early August 2023, and ISIL attack on GoS 
forces led to the killing of at least 10 soldiers and militiamen in northern Raqqa.977 

The SDF arrested several suspected ISIL members in autumn 2022, including in the 
northern978 and western979 countryside of Raqqa. Following the December 2022 attack in 
Raqqa city, the SDF launched a large-scale security operation (‘Operation Retaliation for 
Raqqa Martyrs’) in late January 2023, targeting ISIL cells in the city and its surrounding rural 
areas.980 At the conclusion of this operation in early February 2023,981 the SDF stated that it 
had raided dozens of possible ISIL hideouts in Raqqa and neighbouring regions,982 and 
arrested 127 suspected ISIL members, including the ISIL governor for Raqqa.983 According to 
an assessment by the Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), 
which comprises the countries contributing troops to the US-led coalition against ISIL, the 
SDF’s anti-ISIL operations resulted in a steady decline in ISIL activity in the region over the first 
quarter of 2023.984 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 751 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Raqqa governorate, of which 125 were coded as battles, 450 
explosions/remote violence and 176 incidents of violence against civilians.985 

973 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url  
974 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in January 2023, CEP, 3 February 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS 
Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central 
Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 
2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url;  Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in July 2023, CEP, 2 August 
2023, url 
975 SOHR, ISIS attacks since early 2023 | 25 people, mostly combatants, killed and injured in over 14 operations in 
SDF-held areas, 14 January 2023, url  
976 NPA, 552 people in Syria fall victim to ISIS attacks in first half of 2023, 8 July 2023, url  
977 Al Monitor, Islamic State attack in Raqqa kills 10 Syrian soldiers, second in a week, 8 August 2023, url 
978 Kurdistan 24, SDF arrests three ISIS suspects with coalition support in Raqqa, 23 September 2022, url  
979 ANHA, SDF arrest a mercenary from ISIS in Raqqa, 8 October 2022, url  
980 Rudaw, SDF launch anti-ISIS operation in response to deadly attack, 25 January 2023, url  
981 NPA, SDF releases statement on end of anti-ISIS operation in Raqqa, 2 February 2023, url 
982 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 57 
983 NPA, SDF releases statement on end of anti-ISIS operation in Raqqa, 2 February 2023, url 
984 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 57 
985 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Figure 19. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Raqqa governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data986 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Tall Abyad (see Figure 20). According to ACLED, SDF and 
affiliated armed groups were involved in around 66 % of all security incidents (coded as either 
‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’), the majority being coded as violence against civilians and 
explosion/remote violence. Turkish forces and affiliated armed groups (SNA) were involved in 
around 50 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as explosions/remote violence 
and where SDF and affiliated armed groups were also an actor. ISIL was involved in around 15 
% of all security incidents, while GoS and affiliated armed groups were involved in around 13 % 
of all security incidents. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Raqqa  

Ath-Thawrah  

Tall Abyad 

62 

35 

28 

Total 

125 

29 

61 

360 

450 

94 

34 

48 

176 

Figure 20. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Raqqa governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

986 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 84 civilian fatalities in 2021987 and 27 in 2022.988 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 20 civilian fatalities in Raqqa governorate.989 AOAV 
reported that explosive violence caused 84 civilian casualties in Raqqa during the year 
2022.990 

Figure 21. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Raqqa governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Raqqa city is ‘still slowly recovering from the devastation’ caused by the battle that led to ISIL’s 
defeat in October 2017, with buildings still severely damaged. According to a local resident, a 
good amount was rebuilt after 2017 but reconstruction efforts have since slowed down due to 
a collapse of the Syrian pound.991 In northern Raqqa, shelling of the M4 road near Ayn Issa by 
Turkish forces caused fires on wheat crops in June 2023.992 

987 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
988 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
989 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
990 AOAV, Syria, n.d., url  
991 Reuters, Syria's Raqqa in slow rebound 5 years since Islamic State defeat, 20 October 2022, url  
992 SOHR, SDF-held areas in June 2023 | Nearly 60 fatalities in acts of violence…deteriorating security 
situation…nearly 30 infightings and murder crimes…19 protests against deteriorating living conditions, 5 July 2023, 
url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Raqqa was one of the governorates where contamination from UXOs was most widespread, 
including on roads, agricultural land and private property,993 with areas previously controlled 
by ISIL showing the highest levels of contamination.994 Between March 2011 and early April 
2023, Raqqa accounted for 22 % of all landmine-related deaths recorded in the country.995 
During the first quarter of 2023, NPA recorded 19 deaths from explosive remnants of war in 
Raqqa governorate.996 Areas where civilians were killed or injured by UXOs during the 
reference period included Tall Abyad town997 and the northern998 and eastern999 Raqqa 
countryside. 

(e)  Displacement and return  

The UN Secretary-General noted that hostilities in northern Syria, including an increase in 
airstrikes, continued to expose civilians to displacement.1000 According to UNOCHA, as of May 
2022 there were 159 827 IDPs in Raqqa governorate,1001 including 108 302 in Raqqa 
district.1002 Over the year 2022, there were no IDP movements out of Raqqa and no IDP 
movements into the governorate. There were about 1 000 movements within the 
governorate.1003 Similarly, during the first five months of 2023, there were no recorded IDP 
movements out of Raqqa or into or within the governorate.1004 No further information on 
reasons behind displacement movements was found. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 1 275 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements from Raqqa to other governorates and about 95 IDP returnee 
movements from other governorates into Raqqa as well as about 725 movements within 
Raqqa.1005 As the USDOS noted, the SDF and the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) ‘generally 
facilitated the safe and voluntary return of IDPs’ to Raqqa.1006 No further information on the 
reasons behind the returns movements was found. 

During the first five months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 9 spontaneous IDP returnee 
movements from other governorates into Raqqa and 26 IDP returnee movements from Raqqa 

993 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
994 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 8 
995 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 20  
996 NPA, Remnants of war kill 331 people in 1st quarter of 2023 in Syria, 4 April 2023, url  
997 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in February 2023 | Assassinations target “National Army” militiamen and ongoing 
violations by Turkish-backed factions, 2 March 2023, url  
998 SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in March 2023 | Turkish-backed factions continues their violations against civilians, 
amid ongoing infightings over property and revenue-sharing, 2 April 2023, url  
999 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 18 
1000 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para. 63 
1001 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1002 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 
1003 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
1004 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
1005 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
1006 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 66 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

to other governorates, all of these movements occurring in March 2023. There were no 
recorded IDP returnee movements within the governorate.1007 UN Security Council reports 
covering the first five months of 2023 did not contain any further information on displacement 
from or returns to Raqqa governorate.1008 No further information on conflict-induced 
displacement or returns for 2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

1007 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url 
1008 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

120 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.9.  Deir Ez-Zor governorate  

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 14: © MapAction, Deir Ez-Zor governorate map1009 

2.9.1.  General description of the governorate  

Deir Ez-Zor governorate is located in eastern Syria. It shares internal borders with Homs to the 
south-west, Raqqa to the north-west and Hasaka to the north as well as an international 
border with Iraq to its east.1010 The Euphrates River divides the governorate into a western part 
(al-Shamiya) and an eastern part (al-Jazeera).1011 Administratively, Deir Ez-Zor comprises three 

1009 MapAction, Deir-ez-Zor Governorate, 29 July 2016, url 
1010 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas, 
Syrian Arab Republic, January 2017, url, p. 13  
1011 SACD, Deir ez-Zor sees few options as widely rejected ‘reconciliation’ starts, 11 January 2022, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

districts: Deir Ez-Zor, al-Mayadin, and al-Bukamal (Abu Kamal).1012 The governorate’s capital is 
Deir Ez-Zor city.1013 

A December 2022 UNOCHA report estimated the governorate’s population at 1 096 528.1014 
The governorate’s population is almost entirely Sunni Arab1015 and its demographic structure 
has been described as heavily tribal-based.1016 Further information on the governorate’s ethnic 
and religious composition can be found in an earlier issue of this report: Syria - Security 
situation (July 2021). 

2.9.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Deir Ez-Zor governorate is roughly divided into two areas of control. The western part – that is, 
mainly the areas west of the Euphrates River – is controlled by the GoS1017 and its Iranian and 
Russian allies. This area includes the major cities of Deir Ez-Zor, al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal.1018 
Meanwhile, the areas east of the Euphrates River are mainly controlled by Kurdish forces 
(SDF),1019 although the GoS/Iran-backed militias held several towns in eastern Deir Ez-Zor.1020  

Iran-backed militias and GoS forces were present in the region stretching from Deir Ez-Zor city 
to al-Bukamal on the Syrian/Iraqi border. Al-Bukamal hosted the Imam Ali base, the 
governorate’s largest Iranian military site. Moreover, GoS forces and Iranian proxies controlled 
seven strategic towns in the eastern Deir Ez-Zor countryside.1021 Activity of the Russian-backed 
Fifth Corps of the SAA was reported in the eastern Deir Ez-Zor countryside around Jadid 
Akidat.1022 Further Iranian and Russian sites were located in the desert areas west of the 
Euphrates,1023 with the IRGC reported to have been redeploying some of its forces from the 
riverside towards the Badia.1024 In spring 2023, IRGC and Iranian-backed militias reinforced 
their presence at military sites in the governorate, including in Deir Ez-Zor city1025 and the al-
Mayadin area.1026 Iran-backed militias operated 30 local recruitment centres in areas west of 

1012 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, pp. 134-135 
1013 SACD, Deir ez-Zor sees few options as widely rejected ‘reconciliation’ starts, 11 January 2022, url  
1014 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1015 iMMAP, Northeastern Syria: Return and Reintegration Area Profiles Central and Eastern Deir-ez-Zor Cantons, 
November 2021, url, p. 9 
1016 SACD, Deir ez-Zor sees few options as widely rejected ‘reconciliation’ starts, 11 January 2022, url; iMMAP, 
Northeastern Syria: Return and Reintegration Area Profiles Central and Eastern Deir-ez-Zor Cantons, November 
2021, url, p. 9 
1017 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; 
Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
1018 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; Liveuamap, 
Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url  
1019 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; 
Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
1020 NPA, Iran controls Syria’s Deir ez-Zor by persuasion, intimidation, 21 June 2023, url  
1021 NPA, Iran controls Syria’s Deir ez-Zor by persuasion, intimidation, 21 June 2023, url  
1022 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – May 2023, May 2023, url  
1023 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1024 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023, 10 July 2023, url  
1025 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - May 2023, 8 June 2023, url  
1026 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023, 10 July 2023, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

the Euphrates and were backed by certain local tribes such as the al-Baggara, Mashahda, and 
al-Marasima.1027 

Meanwhile, sites of Kurdish forces were located east of the Euphrates, including along the 
Euphrates and Khabour riverbanks and in the governorate’s northern corner near the Raqqa 
and Hasaka borders.1028 They were supported by forces of the US-led Coalition against ISIL,1029 
which operated several sites east of the Euphrates, including on the eastern bank opposite 
Deir Ez-Zor city1030 and south of the Euphrates/Khabour confluence.1031  

ISIL remained active in the governorate1032 and continued to conduct asymmetric attacks as of 
the first half of 2023,1033 with pockets of the group’s presence mapped in the desert areas 
west of the Euphrates.1034 Since early 2023, ISIL increased its attacks and coercive activities in 
the governorate’s urban belt, including by installing a nighttime shadow rule in Musayrib (north 
of Deir Ez-Zor city).1035 Moreover, a rise in activity of ISIL cells was reported in the SDF-held 
northern Deir Ez-Zor countryside around the towns of Tayyeb al-Fal, al-Hajnah, al Harijiyah 
and al-Hariji.1036 

2.9.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

The UN Secretary-General, in a February 2023 report, described the security situation in Deir 
Ez-Zor governorate as ‘volatile’, with continuing reports of targeted killings.1037 These were 
carried out by means of firearms1038 and IEDs.1039 In a number of attacks with civilian 

1027 NPA, Iran controls Syria’s Deir ez-Zor by persuasion, intimidation, 21 June 2023, url  
1028 Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Deir Ez-Zor and July 2023. 
1029 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress. 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 50 
1030 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress. 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 51; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - 
mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1031 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1032 Rudaw, SDF denies reports of military movement in eastern Deir ez-Zor, 12 July 2023, url; Molina, L.M., Deir 
Ezzor, at a crossroads with Daesh [Opinion], Atalayar, 18 November 2022, url 
1033 UN Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, url, para. 52 
1034 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url  
1035 ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Update Special Edition: Iran, Russia, and Syrian Prioritization of 
Challenging the United States over ISIS Will Present ISIS with Space to Grow Its Capabilities, Rest, and Refit, 21 July 
2023, url  
1036 SOHR, SOHR: ISIS cells continue to spread terror in northeast Syria, 29 March 2023, url  
1037 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 30 
1038 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 18; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, p. 21 
1039 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, p. 21; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, Annex I, p. 21 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

casualties1040 or kidnappings of civilians1041 the perpetrators were unknown or could not be 
confirmed. Moreover, the governorate experienced mutual strikes between US forces an  
IRGC forces/Iran-backed militias,1042 as well as Israeli air bombing.1043 

In August 2023, clashes between SDF and Arab tribal fighters, members of the Deir Ez-Zor  
Military Council, broke out after SDF detained the commander and some members of the  
Military Council.1044 According to sources, at least 10 tribesmen and three SDF fighters were  
killed, as well as eight civilians.1045 

ISIL insurgency 

ISIL launched regular attacks in the governorate.1046 It continued to conduct asymmetric 
attacks during the reference period,1047 targeting GoS forces, SDF members and civilians and 
using the Badia desert for the purposes of remobilisation and training.1048  

Incidents targeting civilians included attacks on truffle hunters in the desert of western Deir 
Ez-Zor1049 and on contractors1050 and businessmen in the oil industry.1051 Moreover, the group 
bombed several money exchange offices in al-Zar and al-Ghurba towns following their 
owners’ refusal to pay Islamic ‘zakat’ (tax) to the group.1052 Among those attacked by ISIL were 
members of the Albu Saraya tribe in the GoS controlled parts of northern Deir Ez-Zor, 
including NDF fighters, shepherds, and truffle harvesters.1053 

1040 See, for example, SNHR, 501 Civilians, Including 71 Children, 42 Woman, and 20 Individuals Who Died due to 
Torture Documented Killed in Syria, in the First Half of 2023, 2 July 2023, url, p. 19; SNHR, 99 Civilians, Including 
Eight Children, and Seven Women Documented Killed in Syria, in April 2023, 1 May 2023, url, p. 5; Al Arabiya, At 
least 10 workers killed in attack near oil field in Syria’s Deir Ezzor, 30 December 2022, url 
1041 SOHR, Including two children | Unknown gunmen kidnap eight shepherds and steal nearly 200 sheep in Al-
Masrab desert in western Deir Ezzor, 3 March 2023, url  
1042 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, pp. 52-53; UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent 
International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 16  
1043 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 16 
1044 Al Jazeera, Several killed in fighting between SDF and tribesmen in eastern Syria, 30 August 2023, url; Lister, 
C., A dangerous escalation in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, 30 August 2023, MEI, url 
1045 Al Jazeera, Several killed in fighting between SDF and tribesmen in eastern Syria, 30 August 2023, url 
1046 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12  
1047 UN Security Council, Sixteenth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to 
international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering 
the threat, S/2023/76, 1 February 2023, url, para. 27; UN Security Council, Letter dated 24 July 2023 from the Chair 
of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning 
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities 
addressed to the President of the Security Council, S/2023/549, 25 July 2023, 
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4016440/files/S_2023_549-EN.pdf?ln=en, para. 52  
1048 UN Security Council, Sixteenth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to 
international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering 
the threat, S/2023/76, 1 February 2023, url, para. 27 
1049 ANF News, 8 killed, over 40 injured in ISIS landmine blast in Deir ez-Zor, 2 March 2023, url  
1050 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – April 2023, 11 April 2023, url 
1051 NPA, ISIS attacks oil businessman in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, 19 March 2023, https://npasyria.com/en/94975/; SOHR, 
New assassination | ISIS cells kill oil investor in Deir Ezzor countryside, 23 February 2023, url  
1052 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – 02 November 2022, 2 November 2022, url  
1053 ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, March 22, 2023, 24 March 2023, url  

124 

 
 
 
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ISIL carried out multiple attacks on SDF members, targeting checkpoints1054 and military 
patrols in the eastern Deir Ez-Zor countryside1055 and carrying out assassinations.1056 Moreover, 
in addition to GoS forces1057 and NDF members,1058 ISIL attacks increasingly targeted IRGC and 
Iran-backed militias,1059 with incidents reported in al-Mayadin1060 and al-Bukamal.1061 In early 
2023, the group shifted its focus in GoS-held areas to military targets closer to the 
Euphrates.1062 At the beginning of August 2023, ISIL claimed an attack on a bus carrying SAA 
soldiers near the Iraqi border south of Deir Ez-Zor city, leading to at least 33 deaths.1063 

According to Gregory Waters, during the final five months of 2022, incidents in the 
governorate attributed to ISIL peaked in September1064 (5 attacks) and December (5 
attacks),1065 with an average monthly rate of 2.4.1066 In the first half of 2023, incident numbers 
rose significantly in March (12)1067 and April (18), reaching their highest level since early 2018,1068 
with an average monthly rate of 7.17 attacks.1069 Other sources even recorded average rates as 
high as 10.67 (NPA)1070 or 11 attacks per month (SOHR)1071 over the same six-month period. 

1054 See, for example, SOHR, Earlier ISIS attack | Member of “SDF” checkpoint killed in Deir Ezzor countryside, 5 
March 2023, url; SOHR, Earlier “ISIS” attack | Member of SDF killed in eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, 2 March 
2023, url; SOHR, ISIS resurgence | Asayish member killed and others injured in attack on checkpoint in eastern Deir 
Ezzor, 26 February 2023, url  
1055 See, for example, SOHR, ISIS attack | Five SDF members killed and injured east of Deir Ezzor, 10 August 2022, 
url; ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, April 12, 2023, 14 April 2023, url 
1056 See, for example, SOHR, ISIS attack | SDF member killed west of Deir Ezzor in retaliation for anti-ISIS campaign 
in Al-Hawl camp, 19 September 2022, url  
1057 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – May 2023, May 2023, url; SOHR, Two anti-regime attacks | 30 
regime soldiers killed in Rif Dimashq and Deir Ezzor desert in less than 24 hours, 13 October 2022, url  
1058 SOHR, More seven bodies found | The number of NDF members killed by ISIS cells in Deir Ezzor desert jumps 
to 12, 27 March 2023, url; SOHR, Missing for 15 days | Four NDF members found dead in Deir Ezzor desert, 25 
March 2023, url  
1059 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023, 10 July 2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: 
North-East Syria – May 2023, May 2023, url  
1060 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023, 10 July 2023, url  
1061 SOHR, ISIS resurgence | Member of Iran-backed militias killed in an attack in Deir Ezzor, 13 September 2022, url  
1062 ISW and CTP, Salafi-Jihadi Movement Weekly Update, March 8, 2023, 10 March 2023, url  
1063 BBC News, Islamic State attack on army bus kills 33 Syrian soldiers, 12 August 2023, url 
1064 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in September 2022, CEP, 4 October 2022, url 
1065 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url  
1066 EUAA analysis based on Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, CEP, 6 
September 2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in September 2022, CEP, 4 October 
2022, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in October 2022, CEP, 4 November 2022, url; 
Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in November 2022, CEP, 5 December 2022, url; Waters, G., 
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2022, CEP, 10 January 2023, url  
1067 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url 
1068 Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url 
1069 EUAA analysis based on Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in January 2023, CEP, 3 February 
2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in February 2023, CEP, 3 March 2023, url; Waters, 
G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2023, CEP, 4 April 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The 
Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023, CEP, 3 May 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency 
in May 2023, CEP, 2 June 2023, url; Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in June 2023, CEP, 6 July 
2023, url  
1070 NPA, 552 people in Syria fall victim to ISIS attacks in first half of 2023, 8 July 2023, url  
1071 Kurdistan 24, Female security police killed in Deir ez-Zor: SOHR, 29 June 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

GoS and affiliated/allied forces launched several operations against ISIL cells in western1072 
and eastern1073 rural Deir Ez-Zor, although the Critical Threats Project (CTP) and the ISW 
claimed that Iranian forces and their proxies ‘increasingly struggled’ to counter ISIL operations 
since March 2022.1074 The SDF/US forces likewise conducted several anti-ISIL operations 
resulting in the arrest/killing of ISIL leaders,1075 including in the al-Kasrah area (western rural 
Deir Ez-Zor).1076 

Infighting among GoS forces and affiliated groups 

Several instances of deadly infighting were reported, including between members of the 
NDF and GoS forces (Deir Ez-Zor city),1077 the Air Force Intelligence Directorate and the IRGC 
(al-Bukamal city),1078 and between NDF members (eastern Deir Ez-Zor countryside).1079 

Protests 

Civilians attacked SDF members in al-Shanan village (eastern rural Deir Ez-Zor) in September 
2022 after SDF fighters had stabbed a young man.1080 In February 2023, in Sabhah village in 
Basirah area of eastern rural Deir Ez-Zor, two civilians were killed when security forces fired 
shots to disperse protesters.1081 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 1 089 security 
incidents recorded by ACLED in Deir Ez-Zor governorate, of which 588 were coded as battles, 
246 explosions/remote violence and 255 incidents of violence against civilians.1082 

1072 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – May 2023, May 2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: 
North-East Syria – 02 November 2022, 2 November 2022, url  
1073 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - May 2023, 8 June 2023, url  
1074 ISW and CTP, Iran Update, March 3, 2023, 3 March 2023, url, p. 2 
1075 SOHR, SOHR: SDF arrests ISIS members, leader in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, 30 April 2023, url; VOA, US Hammers 
Islamic State With Multiple Raids, 17 February 2023, url; NPA, SDF Arrests ISIS Leader in Syria’s Deir-ez-Zor, The 
Syrian Observer, 21 December 2022, url  
1076 NPA, SDF Arrests ISIS Leader in Syria’s Deir-ez-Zor, The Syrian Observer, 21 December 2022, url  
1077 SOHR, Deir Ezzor | Member close to “NDF” leader killed during armed clash with regime forces, 16 July 2023, 
url  
1078 SOHR, Dispute over drug trade | “Airforce Intelligence” member shot dead by IRGC in Al-Bokamal city, 21 
January 2023, url  
1079 SOHR, Disputes over narcotics | Two “National Defence” members killed in clashes at checkpoint in Deir Ezzor, 
26 October 2022, url  
1080 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – 04 October 2022, 4 October 2022, url  
1081 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, Annex I, p. 21 
1082 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

126 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Figure 22. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Deir Ez-Zor governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 
2023, based on ACLED data1083 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Deir Ez Zor (see Figure 23). According to ACLED, GoS forces and 
affiliated armed groups were involved (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) in around 38 % of 
all security incidents. SDF and affiliated armed groups were involved in around 36 % of all 
security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as battles and violence against civilians. 
Unidentified armed groups were involved in around 35 % of all security incidents, mostly in 
incidents coded as battles and violence against civilians. ISIL was involved in around 28 % of 
all security incidents, the vast majority being coded as battles and violence against civilians. 
Tribal militias/actors were involved in around 18 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents 
coded as battles. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Albu Kamal 

Al Mayadin 

79 

110 

Deir Ez-Zor 

399 

Total  

588 

36 

57 

153 

246 

37 

48 

170 

255 

Figure 23. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Deir Ez-Zor governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

1083 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 197 civilian fatalities in 20211084 and 125 in 2022.1085 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 167 civilian fatalities in Deir Ez-Zor governorate.1086 

Figure 24. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Deir Ez-Zor governorate 
between August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Deir Ez-Zor governorate witnessed significant destruction during the conflict years, both in 
urban and rural areas,1087 with an estimated 75 % of Deir Ez-Zor city’s infrastructure damaged 
or destroyed.1088 Around 40 % of the city’s sewage network has been damaged. There was 
also significant destruction of residential properties.1089 

Deir Ez-Zor was one of the governorates where contamination from UXOs was widespread, 
including on roads, agricultural land and private property.1090 Areas previously controlled by 
ISIL showed the highest levels of contamination,1091 as retreating ISIL forces left large 

1084 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
1085 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
1086 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
1087 UN-Habitat, Call for Proposal No. 1 -2022, May 2022, url, p. 1 
1088 UNHCR, Deir-ez-Zor residents find help to rebuild lives from the city's ruins, 10 May 2022, url  
1089 UN-Habitat, Syria Country Profile, 4 June 2023, url, pp. 1-2 
1090 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12 
1091 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions, 4 April 2023, url, p. 8 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

quantities of improvised landmines and other IEDs.1092 A map published by the SNHR on the 
basis of data collected between March 2011 and April 2023 shows a particularly high density 
of civilian deaths from landmines in the middle section of the stretch of the Euphrates valley 
crossing the governorate.1093 During the first quarter of 2023, NPA recorded 127 deaths from 
remnants of war in Deir Ez-Zor, more than in any other governorate.1094 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 153 814 IDPs in Deir Ez-Zor 
governorate.1095 Over the year 2022, there were approximately 1 000 IDP movements out of 
Deir Ez-Zor and 1 000 IDP movements into the governorate as well as about 1 000 movements 
within the governorate.1096 During the first five months of 2023, there were 22 recorded IDP 
movements out of Deir Ez-Zor and no movements into or within the governorate.1097 No 
information on the reasons behind the displacement movements was found. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded no spontaneous IDP returnee movements 
from Deir Ez-Zor to other governorates and about 7 000 IDP returnee movements from other 
governorates into Deir Ez-Zor as well as about 5 000 movements within Deir Ez-Zor.1098 During 
the first five months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 83 spontaneous IDP returnee movements 
from other governorates into Deir Ez-Zor, most of them (74) occurring in March, and 11 IDP 
returnee movements (all in May) from Deir Ez-Zor to other governorates. There were no 
recorded returnee movements within the governorate.1099 

As the USDOS noted, the SDF and the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) ‘generally facilitated 
the safe and voluntary return of IDPs’ to Deir Ez-Zor.1100 Meanwhile, the UNCOI reported that 
as of the first half of 2022, the SAA, including the Fourth Division, continued to seize private 
properties of perceived GoS opponents in the governorate, thus preventing them from 
returning,1101 although more recent information could not be found in this regard. More recent 
data on conflict-induced displacement and spontaneous returns by UNOCHA was not 
available at the time of writing this report. UN Security Council reports covering the first five 

1092 Mine Action Review, Clearing the Mines 2022, 1 October 2022, url, p. 490 
1093 SNHR, On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action: Landmines Continue to 
Plague Large Areas of Syria and Threaten the Lives of Millions [Map], 4 April 2023, url, p. 10 
1094 NPA, Remnants of war kill 331 people in 1st quarter of 2023 in Syria, 4 April 2023, url  
1095 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1096 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
1097 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
1098 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
1099 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url 
1100 USDOS, 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Syria, 20 March 2023, url, p. 66 
1101 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/51/45, 17 August 2022, url, para. 31 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

months of 2023 did not contain any further information on displacement from or returns to 
Deir Ez-Zor governorate.1102 No further information on conflict-induced displacement or returns 
for 2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

1102 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

130 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.10.  Damascus governorate  

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 15: © MapAction, Damascus governorate1103 

2.10.1.  General description of the governorate  

Damascus governorate, which includes Syria’s capital, is located in the south-western part of 
the country and is completely surrounded by Rural Damascus (Rif Damashq) governorate. The 
governorate is divided into two districts, Damascus city and Yarmouk. Damascus city itself 
comprises 15 sub-district-level areas.1104 In a December 2022 report, UNOCHA estimated the 
population of Damascus governorate to be 1 818 517.1105 For more background information, see 
the EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security situation (July 2021), section 2.10.1. 

1103 UNOCHA, Syria sub-districts maps [maps], n.d., url  
1104 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic, Governorates profile (June 2014), 6 August 2014, url, pp. 2-3 
1105 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.10.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Maps published by several sources indicated that the GoS and affiliated groups were in 
control of Damascus governorate throughout the reference period of this report.1106 

Damascus has been ‘relatively free from the civil war for years’,1107 as the GoS regained full 
control of the capital in May 2018.1108 The GoS has since sought to present Damascus city as a 
‘haven of calm’ within Syria, although this view was contested in a March 2023 article by Haid 
Haid, a Syrian columnist and consulting fellow with Chatham House’s Middle East and North 
Africa programme, who described a significant increase in the number of security incidents in 
and around Damascus, ‘raising questions about the stability of areas held by the 
government.’1109 For more information on the background of the conflict in Damascus 
governorate up until April 2021, see the EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security situation (July 
2021), section 2.10.2. 

As of June 2023, a map on historical control by the Carter Center showed 124 control points in 
Damascus, which were attributed to the GoS and its allies (including Russian forces, Iranian 
forces, and pro-government militias).1110 In an April 2023 report, DIS quoted SNHR stating that 
‘more than half of the Special Forces regiments’ were located near Damascus.1111 The Fourth 
Armoured Division’s presence was concentrated in Damascus and its suburbs, but it had 
offices and small branches outside the capital.1112 Its main task was to protect the GoS in 
Damascus.1113 

As of mid-2022, Jusoor for Studies reported that Iranian forces were deployed at six sites; 
Russian military posts were present at four sites within the governorate.1114 The same source 
observed that, as of mid-2023, there were nine foreign forces sites in Damascus 
governorate.1115 

A Reuters article in February 2023 cited residents claiming that several Iranian security 
agencies were located in Kafr Sousa neighbourhood.1116 

1106 Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and 
Military Dynamics, January – March 2023 [Map], 12 June 2023, url, p. 3; Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical 
Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Damascus and June 2023; UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: 
Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign 
forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across 
Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 January 2023, url 
1107 Al-Monitor, Islamic State claims Damascus car bomb as Assad invited to Saudi, 10 May 2023, url  
1108 BBC News, Syria war: Army takes full control of Damascus after ousting IS, 21 May 2018, url  
1109 Haid, H., Damascus instability proof that war is far from over, Opinion, Al Majalla, 11 March 2023, url 
1110 Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Damascus and June 2023. 
1111 DIS, Syria; The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 20 
1112 DIS, Syria; The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 21 
1113 DIS, Syria; The Special Forces and the elite units [source: SNHR], April 2023, url, p. 24 
1114 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ points in Syria- mid 2022 [Map], 22 July 2022, url 
1115 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1116 Reuters, Exclusive: Rocket strike in Damascus hit Iranian military experts, sources say, 22 February 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

A July 2022 report by the UN Security Council mentioned ‘some infrequent activity’ of ISIL in 
Damascus.1117 In May 2023, ISIL claimed responsibility for a car bombing targeting a police 
station in Damascus.1118  

2.10.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

Although the capital has been ‘largely spared the violence that happens in other parts of the 
country’,1119 car bomb attacks were reported in April 20231120 and May 2023.1121 The May 2023 
incident involved a car bomb exploding at the Barzeh police station. According to Al Arabiya, a 
lieutenant colonel was killed and four others were wounded.1122 The UNSC noted that three 
police officers were killed.1123 ISIL claimed responsibility.1124 

In June 2023, four people were injured when attackers threw a bomb and stabbed a person in 
Dummar district.1125 

Israeli airstrikes were mainly carried out near Damascus city or on Damascus International 
airport (see section 2.11.3 Rural Damascus). However, on 19 February 2023, 15 people, 
including two civilian women, were killed in an Israeli air strike in Kafr Sousa district of the 
capital.1126 On 30 March 2023, the area was hit again by Israeli missiles.1127 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 36 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Damascus governorate, of which 11 were coded as battles, 8 as 
explosions/remote violence and 17 as incidents of violence against civilians.1128 

1117 UN Security Council, Letter dated 11 July 2022 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to 
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-
Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security 
Council [containing thirtieth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to 
resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities], S/2022/547, 15 
July 2022, url, para. 43 
1118 Al-Monitor, Islamic State claims Damascus car bomb as Assad invited to Saudi, 10 May 2023, url; AFP, Policeman 
killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 May 2023 
1119 Al Jazeera, Car bomb rocks a suburb of Syria’s capital Damascus, 3 April 2023, url  
1120 Al Jazeera, Car bomb rocks a suburb of Syria’s capital Damascus, 3 April 2023, url; New Arab (The), Rare car 
bombs rocks upscale Mezzeh area of Damascus, 3 April 2023, url  
1121 AFP, Policeman killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 May 2023, url; AP News, Explosion near 
Syrian capital Damascus kills 1, injures 4, 10 May 2023, url; SOHR, SOHR: Second Syrian policeman dead after 
Damascus car bomb attack, 12 May 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 
22 June 2023, url, p. 18 
1122 AFP, Policeman killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 May 2023, url 
1123 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, p. 18 
1124 AFP, Policeman killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 May 2023, url; International Crisis Group, 
Crisis Watch – Syria: August 2022-July 2023, n.d., url  
1125 NPA, Four people injured in bomb attack in Damascus, 11 June 2023, url  
1126 France 24, More than a dozen killed in Israel's 'deadliest attack' on Syrian capital Damascus, 19 February 2023, 
url  
1127 SOHR, Second attack in 24 hours | Successive explosions rock south-western Damascus following Israeli rocket 
fire, 30 March 2023, url  
1128 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

According to ACLED, GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were involved in 69 % of all 
security incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’).  Unidentified armed groups were 
involved in around 39 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as 
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians. Israeli forces were involved in 
around 28 % of all security incidents, the vast majority being coded as battles.  

In March 2023, Syrian columnist Haid Haid noted that 11 security incidents were reported in 
Damascus in 2021 and 47 incidents in 2022, representing a more than 400 % increase. 
According to him, 14 security incidents were reported in the first two months of 2023.1129 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented one civilian fatality in 20211130 and three civilian fatalities in 2022.1131 
Between August 2022 and July 2023, SNHR documented three civilian fatalities in Damascus 
governorate (one civilian fatality was documented in the period August – December 2022 and 
two between January and July 2023).1132 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

In its annual report covering 2022, UNMAS noted that it had assessed more than 4 200 
residential buildings in Darayya (Rural Damascus) and Yarmouk (Damascus). UNMAS verified 
the existence of explosive ordnance in 140 buildings and identified 800 buildings suspected 
to be tainted by explosives.1133 

In its February 2023 report, the UN Secretary-General noted that about a third of Syrian 
communities were affected by explosive contamination, with one of the highest percentages 
reported in Damascus neighbourhoods.1134 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 600 097 IDPs in Damascus.1135 In 2022, 
UNOCHA recorded approximately 1 888 IDP movements out of Damascus governorate and 
163 IDP movements into Damascus governorate as well as 112 IDP movements within the 
governorate.1136 UNOCHA noted that, as of May 2022, Old Damascus sub-district was one of 
the sub-districts hosting the highest shares of IDPs and returnees (33 % of the sub-district’s 
total population), with a population of 1 215 856 residents, 2 550 returnees and 600 097 

1129 Haid, H., Damascus instability proof that war is far from over, Opinion, Al Majalla, 11 March 2023, url  
1130 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
1131 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
1132 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
1133 UNMAS, Annual Report 2022, 5 April 2023, url, pp. 107-108. No separate numbers for Damascus governorate 
could be found. 
1134 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 33 
1135 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1136 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

IDPs.1137 Between January and May 2023, UNOCHA recorded 68 IDP movements out of 
Damascus, and four IDP movements to Damascus.1138 No information on the reasons behind 
the displacement movements was found. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 7 000 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements out of Damascus governorate and about 2 000 IDP returnee movements 
into the governorate and 2 000 movements within.1139 Between January and May 2023, 
UNOCHA recorded nine spontaneous IDP returnee movements from other governorates into 
Damascus and about 135 returnee movements from Damascus to other governorates.1140 No 
information on the reasons behind the returns movements was found. 

More recent data on conflict-induced displacement and spontaneous returns by UNOCHA was 
not available at the time of writing this report. UN Security Council reports covering the first 
five months of 2023 did not contain any further information on displacement from or returns to 
Damascus governorate.1141 No further information on conflict-induced displacement or returns 
for 2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

Please also see the EUAA COI report: Syria - Country focus (October 2023) for further 
information on restrictions and requirements regarding return to Damascus city. 

1137 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 24 
1138 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
1139 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
1140 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 
1141 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

2.11.  Rural Damascus  

Map 16. MapAction, Rural Damascus governorate1142 

2.11.1.  General description of the governorate  

Rural Damascus (Rif Dimashq in Arabic) is a largely agricultural governorate surrounding 
Damascus city.1143 It is located in the south-western part of Syria and has international borders 
with Jordan and Iraq to the south and east and Lebanon to the west. Internally, it borders 
Homs governorate to the north and Quneitra, Dar’a and Sweida governorates to the south.1144 
The governorate comprises nine1145 administrative districts: Rural Damascus, Douma (Duma), Al 
Qutayfah, An Nabk, Yabroud (Yabrud), At Tall, Az-Zabadani, Darayya, and Qatana.1146 In a 
December 2022 report, UNOCHA estimated the population of Rural Damascus governorate to 

1142 Mapaction, Syria 2013-2015, Rural Damascus Governorate [map], last updated:29 July 2016, url  
1143 REACH, Rural Damascus Governorate, April 2018, Humanitarian Situation Overview in Syria (HSOS), April 2018, 
url, p. 1 
1144 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url 
1145 Please note that some sources mention Qudsaya as another administrative districts of Rural Damascus. HLP, 
Confusion About Government Plans for Wadi Barada, 19 May 2021, url; SOHR, Accused of “filming police station” | 
Police officers arrest two civilians in Qudsaya district in Rif Dimashq, 12 January 2023, url; Mapcarta, Qudsayya 
[Map], n.d., url 
1146 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, pp. 136-137 

136 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

be 3 310 012.1147 For more background information on the governorate, see the EUAA COI 
Report: Syria – Security situation (July 2021), section 2.11.1. 

2.11.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Maps published by several sources indicated that, throughout the reference period of this 
report, the GoS and affiliated groups were controlling all of the governorate’s territory except 
for a zone in its easternmost section.1148 For more information on the background of the 
conflict in Rural Damascus governorate up until April 2021, see the EUAA COI Report: Syria – 
Security situation (July 2021), section 2.11.2. 

As of June 2023, a map on historical control, published by the Carter Center, showed 289 
control points in Rural Damascus, which were attributed to the GoS and its allies (including 
Russian forces, Iranian forces and pro-government militias).1149 

According to a March 2023 report by Annsar Shahhoud and Muhanad Abulhusn, published by 
the New Lines Institute, the influence of the Fourth Division (see section 1.4.1) was 
concentrated in the vicinity of Damascus city and its peripheries to the west and southwest. 
The 40th and 138th brigades were based around Moadamyeh, and the 41st and 42nd brigades 
around Yafour and Ass’aboura west of the capital. The security office of the Fourth Division 
was situated close to the Mezzeh Military Airbase. Attached regiments (333, 555, 666 and 154) 
were described as special forces, and some of them were stationed in Moadamyeh.1150 The 
report also contains a map (as of February 2023) showing various Fourth Division checkpoints 
and bases, the locations of the Security Bureaus of the Fourth Division and the Republican 
Guard, and the National Security Bureau in or near Damascus city.1151 Activities of members of 
the NDF were also reported in the reference period.1152 

As of mid-2022, Jusoor for Studies reported that Iranian forces were deployed at 93 sites; 
Russian military posts were present at seven sites within the governorate.1153 The same source 
observed that, as of mid-2023, there were 114 foreign forces sites in Rural Damascus 
governorate.1154 Iran-backed armed groups were reportedly stationed at Damascus 
International Airport.1155 Iran-backed militias reportedly continued to strengthen their presence 

1147 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1148 Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url; Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and 
Military Dynamics [Map], January - March 2023, 12 June 2023, url, p. 3; UN Geospatiall, Syrian Arab Republic: 
Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of military 
control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 [Map], 2 January 2023, url 
1149 Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Rural Damascus and June 
2023. 
1150 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
p. 7 
1151 Shahhoud, A. and Abulhusn, M., Syria’s 4th Division: A Threat to Stability, New Lines Institute, March 2023, url, 
p. 5 
1152 SOHR, After refusing to rent his farm | “National Defence” members arrest civilian and his son in Rif Dimashq, 11 
December 2022, url; SOHR, Rif Dimashq | National Defence checkpoints arrest civilians near Syrian-Lebanese 
borders, 31 January 2023, url; SOHR, For belonging to National Defence | Military Intelligence releases two thieves 
in Al-Qalmon countryside, 1 February 2023, url; SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Volunteer of General Intelligence 
Administration shoots and intimidates residents, 16 April 2023, url  
1153 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ points in Syria- mid 2022 [Map], 22 July 2022, url 
1154 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1155 AFP, Israeli strikes on Syrian capital's airport kill four: monitor, 2 January 2023 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

in areas near the Lebanese border by purchasing plots of land in Az-Zabadani and Al-Tufayl 
areas north of Damascus city since early 2021. The Lebanese Hezbollah facilitated those 
operations.1156 In January 2023, SOHR reported on increasing numbers of purchases of real 
estate units by Hezbollah in and near Badda, north-east of Damascus city.1157 

A map published by Jusoor for Studies as of mid-2023 showed International coalition forces 
stationing point at Al-Tanf.1158 The so-called US-declared 55-km deconfliction area1159 around 
Al-Tanf also extends into Homs governorate1160 and has been a base for counter-ISIL 
operations and training for anti-ISIL factions since 2016. Positioned near Iranian and Iran-
backed forces, the garrison occupied a strategic spot on the Baghdad-Damascus highway.1161 
According to the US Department of Defense (USDOD), the US forces worked ‘with vetted local 
partner forces’, including the FSA, which controlled outposts around Al-Tanf Garrison, and 
provided protection against pro-regime and Iran-aligned forces surrounding the deconfliction 
zone.1162 

No information on activities by Anti-GoS armed groups during the reference period could be 
found within the time constraints of this report. 

2.11.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

During the reference period sources reported Israeli airstrikes on Damascus International 
airport,1163 mostly resulting in the killing of soldiers. Besides Damascus International Airport, 
targeted areas included Khirbet Al-Shayab, Dimas airport,1164 Al-Sayyida Zainab,1165 Al-
Kiswah,1166 Jebel el Mania1167, Hafir Al-Foka, and Al-Hamah.1168 According to state news agency 

1156 SOHR, Iran’s presence in Syria in May 2023 | Frequent meetings by commanders…noticeable escalation of 
cultural centres’ activities in west Euphrates…ongoing recruitment and taking over of properties in Aleppo and Rif 
Dimashq, 4 June 2023, url  
1157 SOHR, Ongoing oppression | Hezbollah commander force civilian to sell his farmland in Rif Dimashq, 26 January 
2023, url  
1158 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url  
1159 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url 
1160 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url 
1161 International Crisis Group, Al-Tanf, Syria, 31 July 2023, url  
1162 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve: Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress 1 January 
2023 – 31 March 2023, 2 May 2023, url, p. 50 
1163 Reuters, Israel attacks Damascus airport, five soldiers killed, Syria says, 17 September 2022, url; SOHR, 28 Israeli 
attacks in 2022 | Violent explosions rock areas nearby Damascus airport and southern Rif Dimashq, 26 October 
2022, url; Rudaw, Damascus airport out of service following Israeli airstrikes, 2 January 2023, url; Le Monde, Israeli 
airstrike in central Damascus kills 15 people, 19 February 2023, url; MEE, Syria says Israeli strikes on Damascus 
airport leave two dead, 2 January 2023, url; SOHR, 17th attack in 2023 | Israeli missiles hit positions of Lebanese 
Hezbollah in vicinity of Damascus, 28 May 2023, url 
1164 SOHR, 28 Israeli attacks in 2022 | Violent explosions rock areas nearby Damascus airport and southern Rif 
Dimashq, 26 October 2022, url 
1165 SOHR, Israeli airstrikes | Three non-Syrian fighters backed by Lebanese Hezbollah killed in Al-Sayyida Zainab 
area in Rif Dimashq, 20 December 2022, url  
1166 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, p. 18 
1167 Jerusalem Post (The), Alleged Israeli airstrike hits Syria, 4th in under a week, 4 April 2023, url  
1168 SOHR, 17th attack in 2023 | Israeli missiles hit positions of Lebanese Hezbollah in vicinity of Damascus, 28 May 
2023, url  

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

SANA, in April 2023, two civilians were killed.1169 Civilians were also reportedly killed in an 
attack in February 2023.1170 However, Hezbollah and Iranian militias reportedly were the main 
targets of the air attacks.1171 

In July 2023, several people were reportedly killed in a car bomb explosion outside the 
Sayeda Zeinab shrine. Some days earlier, two people were wounded in a separate explosion 
at the shrine.1172 ISIL reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.1173 

Clashes between a group affiliated with the Military Intelligence service and another group 
affiliated with the Fourth Division in Bait Jinn were reported in February 2023.1174 In April 2023, 
five people, including a civilian, were killed when clashes between the ‘Hamada family’ 
supported by the Fourth Division and residents of Bait Jinn broke out.1175 Clashes between two 
families affiliated to the Military Intelligence Department and the Fourth Division were also 
reported in June 2023 in Bait Jinn. Three people, including a civilian, were killed.1176 Following 
the clashes, the Military Intelligence Department and affiliated gunmen of the ‘Hamada Family’ 
shelled the town.1177 End of June 2023, a person working for the military intelligence division 
was reportedly killed by members of the Fourth Division near the Lebanese border, after the 
victim had written a ‘malicious report’ against the attackers.1178 

In April 2023, a civilian was killed in an old dispute between families in Muadamiyat Al-
Qalamun. According to SOHR, since early 2023, ‘14 murder crimes left a woman, 13 men and a 
child dead’ in Rural Damascus governorate.1179 Armed clashes between two families were also 
reported in March 2023, in Madaya town. No casualties were reported.1180 

1169 AFP, New Israeli strike on Syria kills two civilians: state media, 4 April 2023 
1170 Le Monde, Israeli airstrike in central Damascus kills 15 people, 19 February 2023, url  
1171 SOHR, 28 Israeli attacks in 2022 | Violent explosions rock areas nearby Damascus airport and southern Rif 
Dimashq, 26 October 2022, url; Rudaw, Damascus airport out of service following Israeli airstrikes, 2 January 2023, 
url; SOHR, Israeli airstrikes | Three non-Syrian fighters backed by Lebanese Hezbollah killed in Al-Sayyida Zainab 
area in Rif Dimashq, 20 December 2022, url; NPA, 5 Syrians Killed in Israeli airstrike near Damascus, 19 February 
2023, url; SOHR, 17th attack in 2023 | Israeli missiles hit positions of Lebanese Hezbollah in vicinity of Damascus, 
28 May 2023, url 
1172 Reuters, Bomb blast kills several people at shrine near Damascus, Syrian state media report, 27 July 2023, url  
1173 Gregory Waters, [Twitter], posted on: 28 July 2023, url 
1174 SOHR, Growing tension | Clashes between two groups affiliated with 4th Division and military intelligence 
services in Rif Dimashq leave casualties, 4 February 2023, url  
1175 SOHR, After five killed in clashes | Alarming calm spread among residents of Bait Jinn in Rif Dimashq, 8 April 
2023, url; SOHR, Ongoing tension | Four people killed in armed clashes in Bait Jinn in Rif Dimashq. 7 April 2023, url  
1176 SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Three people killed in clashes between two families of Military Intelligence and 4th Division 
Security, 1 June 2023, url  
1177 SOHR, More than 30 shells | Military Intelligence Department shells Bait Jinn town in Rif Dimashq, 1 June 2023, 
url  
1178 SOHR, Following quarrel | Members of 4th Division kill collaborator with military intelligence division near Syrian-
Lebanese border in Rif Dimashq, 26 June 2023, url  
1179 SOHR, Rif Dimashq security chaos | Elder man in his 70s shot dead, 25 April 2023, url  
1180 SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Renewal of old vendetta sparks clashes between two families, 28 March 2023, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Several civilians were killed by members of the Fourth Division in the reference period.1181 
Civilians were also injured by members of the Military Intelligence branch.1182 Bodies of 
civilians killed by unknown perpetrators were also found in the reference period.1183 

Several members of the Fourth Division,1184 the Military Intelligence Department,1185 the NDF,1186 
died in various attacks during the reference period, and there were reports of attacks 
targeting GoS checkpoints1187. 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 211 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Rural Damascus, of which79 were coded as battles, 44 as 
explosions/remote violence and 88 as incidents of violence against civilians.1188 

Figure 25. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Rural Damascus governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 
July 2023, based on ACLED data1189 

1181 SOHR, Rif Dimashq security chaos | Civilian killed by stray bullet near 4th Division checkpoint, 13 August 2022, 
url; SOHR, Murders in regime-held areas | Woman shot dead by 4th Division member in Rif Dimashq, 5 September 
2022, url; SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Civilian shot dead by 4th Division near Syria-Lebanon border, 8 October 2022, url  
1182 SOHR, Amid high alert | Members of military intelligence branch storm Madaya town and arrest several young 
men, 19 June 2023, url; SOHR, Ongoing arbitrary arrests | Members of military intelligence branch arrest six people 
in Rif Dimashq, 13 March 2023, url  
1183 SOHR, Murders in regime-held areas | Residents of Al-Kiswah area in Rif Dimashq found civilian’s body, 22 
November 2022, url; SOHR, Head and limbs separated | Cleaners find body of unidentified man in southern Rif 
Dimashq, 24 October 2022, url; SOHR, Escalating crimes in regime areas | Residents find body of young man killed 
in Rif Dimashq, 8 October 2022, url 
1184 SOHR, IED attack | Commander in 4th Division killed in Rif Dimashq, 27 June 2023, url; SOHR, Targeted by 
unknown people | Leader of armed group in “4th Division” killed in western Rif Dimashq, 30 June 2023, url; SOHR, 
Death toll update | Nearly 40 people killed and injured in IED attack on 4th Division military bus in Rif Dimashq, 13 
October 2022, url  
1185 SOHR, IED explosion | Local commander of Military Intelligence Department assassinated in Rif Dimashq, 30 
May 2023, url  
1186 SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Five people mistakenly kill member of National Defence while seeking revenge, 17 April 
2023, url; SOHR, Armed clashes | “National defence” member killed in Jaramana city in Rif Dimashq, 28 January 
2023, url ;  
1187 SOHR, Amid high security mobilization | Gunmen attack regime checkpoint in Rif Dimashq and kill member, 27 
April 2023, url; SOHR, Arrests campaign | Regime patrols arrest 14 civilians in Rif Dimashq following attack on 
Republican Guard checkpoint and anti-regime graphics, 10 January 2023, url  
1188 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
1189 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

140 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Security incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the districts of At Tall and Rural Damascus (see Figure 26). According to 
ACLED, GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were involved (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or 
‘Actor2’) in around 84 % of all security incidents, particularly in incidents coded as ‘battles’ and 
‘violence against civilians’. Unidentified armed groups were involved in around 32 % of all 
security incidents, particularly in incidents where GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were 
also an actor. Israeli forces were involved in around 20 % of all security incidents, mostly in 
incidents coded as battles and explosions/remote violence, where GoS forces and affiliated 
armed groups were also an actor.  

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Al Qutayfah 

An Nabk 

At Tall 

Az-Zabadani 

Darayya 

Duma 

Qatana 

2 

2 

11 

6 

1 

18 

16 

Rural Damascus 

21 

Yabroud 

Total 

2 

79 

1 

- 

- 

4 

- 

14 

4 

19 

2 

44 

1 

2 

48 

4 

1 

5 

6 

20 

1 

88 

Figure 26. Security events coded  as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Rural Damascus governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

141 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 13 civilian fatalities in 20211190 and 80 in 2022.1191 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 18 civilian fatalities in Rural Damascus governorate (seven 
civilian fatalities were documented in the period August – December 2022 and 11 between 
January and July 2023).1192 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

In its annual report covering 2022, UNMAS noted that it had assessed more than 4 200 
residential buildings in Darayya (Rural Damascus) and Yarmouk (Damascus). UNMAS 
confirmed the existence of explosive ordnance in 140 buildings and identified 800 buildings 
suspected to be tainted by explosives.1193 In its country profile on Syria, UN-Habitat estimated 
that the conflict has left approximately 48 % of the residential properties in Duma, in Rural 
Damascus, uninhabitable.1194 

Within Darayya, the teams evaluated an area of around 2 million square meters of agricultural 
land, with 71 % of it being verified as hazardous.1195 From December 2021 to November 2022, 
the Armenian Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (ACHDE), an implementing 
partner of UNMAS, cleared approximately two million square meters of agricultural land, and 
conducted 55 demolitions to eliminate a total of 518 pieces of explosive ordnance.1196 

In its February 2023 report, the UN Secretary-General noted that about a third of Syrian 
communities were affected by explosive contamination, with Rural Damascus showing one of 
the highest percentages among all governorates.1197 SOHR reported on the explosion of war 
remnants in Zamalka town,1198 in Yabroud city in western Qalamoun,1199 and in Al-Sabinah, 
south of Damascus city,1200 resulting in deaths and injuries.1201 

1190 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
1191 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10. Out of the 80 civilian fatalities documented in 2022 
in Rural Damascus, SNHR included the death of 54 persons for whom the GoS released death notifications in 
February 2022, although they were arrested in previous years and died in custody. Most of them were originally 
from Deir al-Asafir town. See SNHR, 161 Civilians, Including 28 Children, Six Women and 66 Victims Due to Torture, 
Documented Killed in Syria in February 2022, 1 March 2022, url, p. 5 
1192 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
1193 UNMAS, Annual Report 2022, 5 April 2023, url, pp. 107-108 
1194 UN-Habitat, Syria Country Profile, 4 June 2023, url, p. 1 
1195 UNMAS, Annual Report 2022, 5 April 2023, url, pp. 107-108 
1196 UNMAS, Press release: UNMAS in Syria completes the first handover of cleared land in Darayya, Rural 
Damascus, 1 December 2022, url  
1197 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 33 
1198 SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Child killed by landmine explosion of war remnants, 29 May 2023, url  
1199 SOHR, Old ordnance | Landmine explosion kills young man and injures another in Rif Dimashq, 23 January 
2023, url  
1200 SOHR, Old ordnance | Five civilians, including two children, injured in Rif Dimashq, 24 December 2022, url  
1201 SOHR, Rif Dimashq | Child killed by landmine explosion of war remnants, 29 May 2023, url; SOHR, Old ordnance 
| Landmine explosion kills young man and injures another in Rif Dimashq, 23 January 2023, url; SOHR, Old 
ordnance | Five civilians, including two children, injured in Rif Dimashq, 24 December 2022, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

In November 2022, several people were killed when a building collapsed in the city of Al-
Hajar Al-Aswad. The victims had tried to extract iron from the damaged building located in a 
war-torn neighbourhood.1202 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 1 083 062 IDPs in Rural Damascus.1203 In 
2022, UNOCHA recorded approximately 8 000 IDP movements out of the governorate and 
no IDP movements into Rural Damascus governorate. 3 000 IDP movements within the 
governorate were recorded.1204 Between January and May 2023, UNOCHA recorded eight IDP 
movements out of Rural Damascus and 277 IDP movements to the governorate.1205 

UNOCHA noted that, as of May 2022, At Tall, Jaramana, Qatana and Qudsaya (sub-)districts of 
Rural Damascus governorate were amongst the areas hosting the highest shares of IDPs and 
returnees (75 % of the district’s total population in At Tall, 50 % in Jaramana, 49 % in Qatana 
and 29 % in Qudsaya). The population of Jaramana was reported at 304 230 residents, 175 
returnees and 299 146 IDPs, while the population of Qudsaya consisted of 243 346 residents, 
404 returnees and 99 476 IDPs.1206 In January 2023, no IDP movements were recorded in 
Rural Damascus governorate.1207 In February 2023, there were approximately 8 IDP 
movements out of Rural Damascus.1208 In January 2023, SOHR reported that members of the 
Fourth Division set a deadline for civilians to evacuate their houses near Moadamiya Al-Sham, 
claiming that the paramilitary area might become a target for Israeli air strikes.1209 No further 
information on the reasons behind the displacement movements was found. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 7 000 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements out of 6 000 IDP returnee movements into and 24 000 within the 
governorate.1210 Between January and May 2023, UNOCHA recorded 19 spontaneous IDP 
returnee movements from other governorates into Rural Damascus and about 109 returnee 
movements from Rural Damascus to other governorates.1211 No information on the reasons 
behind the returns movements was found. 

1202 Syria Report (The), Building Collapses, Killing Seven, During Looting in Damascus Suburb, 17 January 2023, url  
1203 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1204 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url  
1205 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
1206 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url  
1207 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url 
1208 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url  
1209 SOHR, Fortifying their military positions | “4th Division” forces civilians to evacuate their homes in Rif Dimashq, 5 
January 2023, url  
1210 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
1211 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

UN Security Council reports covering the first five months of 2023 did not contain any further 
information on displacement from or returns to Rural Damascus governorate.1212 No further 
information on conflict-induced displacement or returns for 2023 could be found within the 
constraints of the research. 

1212 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

144 

 
2.12.  Dar’a governorate 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Map 17: © MapAction, Dar’a governorate1213 

2.12.1.  General description of the governorate  

Dar’a governorate is located in the southern part of Syria, below Damascus, sharing borders 
with the governorates of Quneitra to the west, Rural Damascus to the north, Sweida to the 
east and an international border with Jordan to its south. Dar’a governorate is comprised of 

1213 MapAction, Dar’a governorate, 29 July 2016, url 

145 

 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

the three administrative districts of Dar’a, Izra’ and As-Sanamayn.1214 According to 2022 
estimates by UNOCHA, the population of Dar’a governorate was 1 023 833 inhabitants.1215  

Information on the strategic importance of Dar’a and its role in cross-border drug trafficking is 
available in the EUAA COI report: Syria - Security situation (September 2022). 

2.12.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Since July 20181216 Dar’a governorate has been nominally under the control of GoS.1217 In 
certain parts of the governorate, such as Busra al-Sham1218, Tafas1219 and Dar’a al-Balad1220, 
GoS’ control was limited, allowing locals and former opposition groups de facto semi-
autonomy, including to maintain light arms, take care of ‘local affairs and to continue to 
manifest opposition’.1221 

Despite carrying out several successful military operations against former opposition groups in 
between 2018-20211222, GoS’ control of Dar’a was still assessed to be tenuous as of 2023.1223 
In areas including Jasim, Dar’a al-Balad and Nawa the GoS was not able to maintain effective 
control.1224 

The SAA’s Fourth Armoured Division was reported to be present in the governorate1225, 
particularly in Dar’a city1226 and the border area with Jordan, controlling the Nassib border 

1214 Based on UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas. 
Syrian Arab Republic, n.d., url 
1215 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1216 Information on the conflict background and armed actors in Dar’a prior to August 2022 is available in the EUAA 
COI report Syria – Security situation (September 2022), EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security Situation (July 2021), and 
EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (May 2020). 
1217 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, 2 January 
2023, url; Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle 
East Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7 
1218 Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle East 
Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7 
1219 Haid, H., Assad’s strategy in southern Syria fated to fail, Asia Times, 11 August 2022, url  
1220 Al-Jabassini, A., Dismantling Networks of Resistance and the Reconfiguration of Order in Southern Syria, EUI, 
October 2021, url, p. 4; Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, 
Carnegie Middle East Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7 
1221 Al-Jabassini, A., Dismantling Networks of Resistance and the Reconfiguration of Order in Southern Syria, EUI, 
October 2021, url, p. 4 
1222 Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle East 
Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7; STJ, Syria: The 75-Day Siege of Daraa al-Balad, 26 October 2021, url, pp. 11-
12; UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/49/77], 8 February 2022, url, paras. 5, 32 
1223 Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, 2 January 
2023, url; Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle 
East Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7; Al-Jabassini, A. and Ezzi, M., Troubled solidarity: how communities in 
Southern Syria responded to the 2023 earthquake disaster, EUI, 8 June 2023, url, p. 12 
1224 Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle East 
Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 7 
1225 DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units, April 2023 [source: SNHR], url, p. 21 
1226 Syria Direct, 4th Division redeploys in Syria’s south in the wake of the US Captagon Act and Arab normalization, 
3 February 2023, url 

146 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

crossing.1227 The 8th Brigade, a Russian-backed local armed group made up of former 
opposition fighters1228 and currently affiliated with the GoS Military Intelligence Directorate1229 
was reported to be the most influential armed group in Dar’a, particularly in the Busra al-Sham 
area of eastern Dar’a.1230 The presence of Russian and Iranian forces, including Hezbollah,1231 
was also reported in the governorate during the reference period.1232  

ISIL maintained small cells including key leadership1233 in Dar’a,1234 reportedly targeting GoS 
and rebel figures, through assassinations, kidnappings, and bombings.1235 Civilians were also 
targeted at times by ISIL.1236 In October 2022, ISIL’s leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-
Qurashi was killed during a GoS military operation in Jasim.1237 

2.12.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

During the second half of 2022 the security situation in Dar’a was assessed by the UNCOI as 
unstable, due to ongoing clashes involving GoS forces, armed opposition groups and ISIL, as 
well as targeted killings of civilians, members of pro-GoS forces and ‘reconciled’ opposition 
fighters.1238 Between August and December 2022, the UN Security Council reported attacks 
with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), targeted killings, kidnappings and limited clashes in 
Dar’a governorate.1239 

1227 Tokmajyan, A. and Khaddour, K., A Fractured Border: Syria, Türkiye, and Cantonization, Carnegie Middle East 
Center, XCEPT, March 2023, url, p. 8; Syria Direct, 4th Division redeploys in Syria’s south in the wake of the US 
Captagon Act and Arab normalization, 3 February 2023, url 
1228 Al-Jabassini, A., Dismantling Networks of Resistance and the Reconfiguration of Order in Southern Syria, EUI, 
October 2021, url, p. 6 
1229 Syria Direct, Wave of new Daraa settlements amid Arab normalization efforts, 9 June 2023, url 
1230 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 18 January 2023, url; Syrian Observer (The), Governor of Daraa 
Beaten by Members of Eighth Brigade, 6 June 2023, url 
1231 VOA, Jordan Strikes Iran-Linked Drugs Factory in Southern Syria, Sources Say, 8 May 2023, url 
1232 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 4 April 2023, url  
1233 UN Security Council, Thirty-second report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted 
pursuant to resolution 2610 (2021) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities 
[S/2023/549], 25 July 2023, url, para.48 
1234 UN Security Council, Sixteenth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to 
international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering 
the threat [S/2023/76], 1 February 2023, url, para.27; Tokmajyan, A., ISIS Resurgence in Daraa: Is the Group Making 
A Comeback in Syria’s Restive South?, EPC, 9 December 2022, url 
1235 Independent (The), Isis, drug smugglers and regime forces unravel fragile peace in southern Syria, 5 January 
2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 18 January 2023, url; Hassan, M., ISIS is back in the open in 
southern Syria, 29 November 2022, url 
1236 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.7; UN Human 
Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic 
[A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, para.47 
1237 UN Security Council, Sixteenth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to 
international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering 
the threat [S/2023/76], 1 February 2023, url, para.7; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 18 January 2023, 
url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url 
1238 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, para.13 
1239 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.8 

147 

 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Following GoS’ demands that former opposition fighters would be expelled from Tafas, Dar’a 
district, clashes ensued between local fighters and GoS forces and a blockade of the town 
was enforced by GoS between 27 July and 13 August 2022. The clashes led to the 
displacement1240 of around 2 500 persons from Tafas to other nearby areas in August.1241 On 
13 August the blockade was lifted after an agreement was reached between GoS and local 
representatives from Tafas to expel the wanted individuals.1242 Additionally, in September 
2022, limited raids by GoS forces and clashes with local forces were reported in the city of 
Jasim, Izra district.1243 

According to the UNCOI, during the clashes between GoS and armed groups which took 
place in Tafas and Jasim in the second half of 2022, farmers were reportedly extorted by GoS 
forces in exchange for being allowed to access their land and their equipment was looted.1244 

In the first five months of 2023, pro-GoS and anti-GoS armed groups, ISIL and unidentified 
perpetrators continued to be involved in security incidents in Dar’a governorate, which took 
the form of IED attacks, limited armed clashes, attacks on checkpoints, targeted killings and 
kidnappings.1245  

In June 2023, sporadic clashes between the 8th Brigade and other pro-GoS units took place in 
the governorate. IED attacks allegedly perpetrated by small opposition groups and targeting 
members of GoS security forces were also reported, leading to fatalities among GoS soldiers 
and commanders.1246 In early July 2023, GoS forces launched a military campaign on the area 
between Tafas and Yaboudeh, western Dar’a countryside, where it alleged that opposition 
factions,1247 drug traffickers and ISIL elements1248 were operating, and assassinations against 
GoS security forces were recurrent.1249 Limited clashes between GoS forces and opposition 
fighters were reported in Tafas in the first week of July, leading to casualties among the 
combatants and displacement of residents.1250 The fighting stopped after the GoS forces and 
prominent clans in the area reached a truce.1251 

1240 NPA, Town In Syria’s Daraa Witnesses Bombardment, Displacement, 10 August 2022, url 
1241 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6 
1242 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics July-September 2022, 7 
November 2022, url, p. 13 
1243 Carter Center (The), Quarterly Review of Syrian Political and Military Dynamics July-September 2022, 7 
November 2022, url, p. 13 
1244 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, para.45 
1245 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.10; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, para.7 
1246 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria - June 2023, 4 July 203, url 
1247 Syrian Observer (The), Regime Military Campaign in Western Countryside of Daraa: What are its Objectives?, 6 
July 2023, url 
1248 Asharq Al-Awsat, Syrian Regime Prepares for Military Operation in Western Countryside of Daraa, 4 July 2023, 
url 
1249 Asharq Al-Awsat, Syrian Regime Prepares for Military Operation in Western Countryside of Daraa, 4 July 2023, 
url; Syrian Observer (The), Regime Military Campaign in Western Countryside of Daraa: What are its Objectives?, 6 
July 2023, url 
1250 New Arab (The), Clashes displace civilians in Tafas as Syrian regime attempt to storm town, 6 July 2023, url 
1251 New Arab (The), Syria: Truce agreed between prominent clan, regime forces after Tafas clashes, 7 July 2023, 
url; NPA, Killings continue amid negotiations with government in Syria’s Daraa, 7 July 2023, url 

148 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

In August 2023, demonstrations against the GoS in the city of Nawa, sparked confrontations 
between local fighters and GoS forces, the latter using artillery and mortar shelling. No civilian 
casualties were reported.1252 

ISIL insurgency 

ISIL activity was reported in Dar’a governorate in the period between October and November 
2022.1253 In October 2022, a GoS and Russian-led operation against ISIL cells in Dar’a 
governorate led according to Russian claims to the killing of at least 20 alleged ISIL fighters in 
the city of Jasim. Local sources mentioned however, that the operation left 10 persons, 
including two leaders, dead.1254 ISIL leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi was killed in 
Jasim in October following armed clashes.1255 Clashes between armed groups and suspected 
ISIL cells also took place in November 2022 in Dar’a al-Balad1256 which led to several civilians 
being killed and the evacuation of 6 750 persons to Dar’a city and western rural Dar’a.1257 

Targeted killings  

Since 2018 when the GoS regained control of Dar’a, a high number of targeted killings have 
been documented in the governorate.1258 According to a June 2023 analysis by the pro-
opposition Daraa Martyrs Documentation Office, around 2 000 attempted or successful 
targeted killings took place in Dar’a since 2018.1259 Between January and end of July 2023, 
SOHR documented 241 fatalities resulting from attacks targeting civilians and combatants in 
Dar’a.1260 Assassination attempts and targeted killings of civilians,1261 former opposition fighters 
who have ‘reconciled’ with the GoS, members of GoS security forces, and of other pro-GoS 
representatives continued to be reported in Dar’a during the reference period.1262 UNOCHA 
reported that 110 persons were killed in targeted killings between January and September 
2022 in Dar’a and SDF-controlled areas. In the vast majority of cases the perpetrators of the 

1252 Syrian Observer (The), Daraa: Shelling and Clashes Following Protests Demanding Fall of Regime, 23 August 
2023, url; NPA, Government forces shell Syria’s Daraa in tandem with protests, 22 August 2023, url 
1253 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, paras 7, 24 
1254 Enab Baladi, Russia claims killing 20 IS fighters in Daraa; What is the truth behind?, 18 October 2022, url 
1255 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, para.13; UN Security Council, Sixteenth report of the Secretary-
General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations 
efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat [S/2023/76], 1 February 2023, url, para.7 
1256 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, paras 8, 24; Syria 
Direct, Former opposition and military security-linked groups battle ‘IS cells’ in Daraa, 3 November 2022, url; New 
Arab (The(, 'IS cell' flee southern Syria stronghold after Daraa assault by former rebels, 16 November 2022, url 
1257 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.8 
1258 Al Monitor, South Syria increasingly unstable even as normalization proceeds with Assad, 24 June 2023, url; Al 
Monitor, Who's to blame for ongoing assassinations in Syria's Daraa province?, 10 August 2022, url; Al-Jabassini, A., 
Migration from Post-War Southern Syria: Drivers, Routes, and Destinations, EUI, 6 January 2022, url, p. 7 
1259 Al Monitor, South Syria increasingly unstable even as normalization proceeds with Assad, 24 June 2023, url 
1260 Of the 231 casualties, the majority were GoS soldiers or collaborators (109), followed by civilians (78), and 
persons accused on drug trafficking (23). SOHR did not provide details regarding the type of attacks which lead to 
these casualties or who were the perpetrators. SOHR, Security chaos in Daraa | 16 civilians among 39 people killed 
in 46 attacks since early July, 24 July 2023, url 
1261 Syrian Observer (The), Daraa: Four, Including a Woman and Child, Assassinated After Deadly Clashes, 23 June 
2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url 
1262 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic [A/HRC/52/69], 7 February 2023, url, para.13; Enab Baladi, Daraa not the same after anti-IS campaign, 12 
January 2023, url; Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

killings remained unknown.1263 At times, local activists, analysts and residents have attributed 
the responsibility for the targeted killings occurring in Dar’a to GoS and affiliated armed 
groups, and to ISIL elements.1264 

Drug trafficking 

In recent years drug production and cross-border drug trafficking increased in the south of 
Syria, including in Dar’a governorate.1265 Anti-drug smuggling operations carried out by pro-
GoS armed groups in Dar’a were reported in the wake of Syria’s readmission to the Arab 
League and the period that followed.1266 In May 2023, airstrikes attributed to Jordan were 
carried out on suspected drug facilities1267 allegedly run by the Lebanese Hezbollah in Dar’a 
governorate.1268 Experts and activists have stated that both GoS1269 and opposition groups1270 
are directly involved in the drug production and trade that originates from Syria. Etana Syria 
assessed that 63 % of the total drug network in Dar’a is associated with the Military 
Intelligence.1271 Individuals reportedly involved in drug trafficking were killed in targeted 
attacks in Dar’a during the reporting period.1272 According to Syrian columnist Haid Haid citing 
local media reports, there were 22 assassinations attempts on persons involved in drug 
trafficking recorded in the governorate between January and August 2023. The 
assassinations targeted civilians, pro-GoS militia members and members of the SAA and 
intelligence services involved in drug trafficking.1273 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 756 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Dar’a governorate, of which 247 were coded as battles, 165 as 

1263 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 20 
1264 NPA, Who is responsible for the constant insecurity in Syria’s Daraa?, 17 April 2023, url; Al Monitor, Who's to 
blame for ongoing assassinations in Syria's Daraa province?, 10 August 2022, url; Etana Syria, Attacks & 
Assassinations in South-West Syria, 28 July 2022, url 
1265 Syria Direct, Southern Syria’s drug war: Jordan’s options ‘limited’ as Iran expands, 6 June 2022, url; OCCRP, A 
‘Drug War’: Syria’s Neighbors Fight a Flood of Captagon Across Their Borders, 27 June 2023, url; France24, 
Captagon connection: how Syria became a narco state, 3 November 2022, url; see also section 2.12 of the EUAA 
COI Report: Syria – Security situation, September 2022, url 
1266 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 4 April 2023, url; New Arab (The), Syrian regime raids on 'small-time 
drug dealers' a 'cynical move' to appease Arab League, 22 May 2023, url; Syria Direct, Wave of new Daraa 
settlements amid Arab normalization efforts, 9 June 2023, url 
1267 AP News, Airstrikes kill well-known Syrian drug kingpin, 8 May 2023, url; VOA, Jordan Strikes Iran-Linked Drugs 
Factory in Southern Syria, Sources Say, 8 May 2023, url 
1268 VOA, Jordan Strikes Iran-Linked Drugs Factory in Southern Syria, Sources Say, 8 May 2023, url 
1269 AP News, A little white pill, Captagon, gives Syria’s Assad a strong tool in winning over Arab states, 9 June 
2023, url; France24, War on Captagon key to Syria's return to Arab League, 19 May 2023, url; Etana Syria, South 
Syria’s Drug Supply Chains, June 2023, url; BBC News, Syria: New Captagon drug trade link to top officials found, 
27 June 2023, url 
1270 AP News, A little white pill, Captagon, gives Syria’s Assad a strong tool in winning over Arab states, 9 June 
2023, url 
1271 Etana Syria, South Syria’s Drug Supply Chains, June 2023, url 
1272 Al Monitor, Who's to blame for ongoing assassinations in Syria's Daraa province?, 10 August 2022, url; NPA, 4 
people killed in Syria’s Daraa for drug trafficking, 8 March 2023, url; NPA, Drug trafficker killed in Syria’s Daraa, 11 
June 2023, url; SOHR, Two separate operations | Drug dealer and collaborator with regime security services killed 
in Daraa, 26 June 2023, url 
1273 Haid, H., In Syria’s South, Drug-Related Assassinations Add to Regional Instability, 11 August 2023, Syndication 
Bureau, url 

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explosions/remote violence and 344 as incidents of violence against civilians.1274 Security 
incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in Dar’a and Izra districts. As-Sanamayn recorded significantly lower number of 
security incidents than the other two districts (see Figure 28). 

Figure 27. Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and 
violence against civilians in Dar’a governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023, 
based on ACLED data1275 

According to ACLED, unidentified armed groups were the main actor involved in security 
incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) during the reference period, accounting for 
around 83 % of all documented security incidents. In most of security incidents featuring 
unidentified armed actors, the other parties involved were civilians (45 % of all documented 
security incidents) and GoS forces and affiliated armed groups (around 47 % of all 
documented security incidents). ISIL was involved in around 5 % of all reported security 
incidents. 

1274 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
1275 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

As-Sanamayn 

43 

Dar’a 

Izra 

Total 

142 

62 

247 

17 

100 

48 

165 

26 

196 

122 

344 

Figure 28. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Dar’a governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 204 civilian fatalities in 2021,1276 207 in 2022.1277 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 2261278 civilian fatalities in Dar’a governorate.1279 Of the 226 
civilian fatalities total recorded by SNHR between August 2022 and July 2023 in Dar’a, 
around 48 (mostly originating from Dar’a governorate) were civilians who drowned in June 
2023 while on migration routes to Europe.1280  

For the year 2022, AOAV documented 115 civilian casualties (killed and injured) in Dar’a 
resulting from incidents of explosive violence.1281 

1276 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url 
1277 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url 
1278 For the month of June 2023, SNHR included in its civilian fatalities reporting the deaths of 48 individuals who 
were mostly from Daraa governorate and drowned off the coast of Greece while trying to reach Europe. SNHR, 501 
Civilians, Including 71 Children, 42 Woman, and 20 Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in Syria, 
in the First Half of 2023, 2 July 2023, url, pp. 5, 10 
1279 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 
1280 Syrian Network for Human Rights, email correspondence 7, 24 and 25 July 2023. See also SNHR, 501 Civilians, 
Including 71 Children, 42 Woman, and 20 Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in Syria, in the 
First Half of 2023, 2 July 2023, url, pp. 5, 10 
1281 AOAV, Syria, updated 21 March 2023, url 

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SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Figure 29. Civilian fatalities as a result of armed conflict in Dar’a governorate between 
August 2022 and July 2023. Monthly breakdown based on SNHR data 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

Dar’a is one of the governorates where sources reported a high percentage of explosive 
ordnance contamination during the reporting period.1282 Civilian casualties, including of 
children1283 as a result of ERW were reported in Dar’a in 20221284 and 2023.1285 Insecurity and 
the presence of ERW has also impeded access of farmers to agricultural land.1286 

UN Habitat assessed that around 15 % of residential properties were uninhabitable in Dar’a 
governorate as a result of the conflict.1287 According to a June 2023 analysis, the scale of 
destruction of homes and infrastructure caused by the conflict in the neighbourhoods of 
southern Dar’a al-Balad was assessed to be of 90 % in the neighbourhoods Al-Manshiya, Al-
Bihar and Al-Karak, 50 % in the neighbourhood of Al-Arbaeen, while in the other 
neighbourhoods the destruction levels varied.1288 

1282 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.29; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para.33 
1283 Enab Baladi, Unexploded ordnance: A fatal threat for Daraa children, 14 July 2023, url; NPA, Child killed in 
landmine explosion in western Daraa, 4 May 2023, url 
1284 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 24; Insecurity 
Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria, April 2023, url, p. 10  
1285 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, p. 21; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, p. 19 
1286 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 30; Insecurity 
Insight, The Links between Conflict and Hunger in Syria, April 2023, url, p. 12 
1287 UN Habitat, Syria Country Profile, 4 June 2023, url, p. 1 
1288 Enab Baladi, Daraa al-Balad residents search for livelihoods despite destruction, 19 June 2023, url 

153 

 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

A UN Habitat analysis from 2022 assessed the infrastructure in southern Dar’a to be severely 
damaged. It further assessed the building damage rate to be severe in the neighbourhoods of 
Al-Manshiya, Al Yarmouk, Alabbasiah and Al-Sad. The structural damage was assessed to be 
partial in the neighbourhoods of Al-Karak and Quneitra, while in Shuhada and Ghernata there 
were minor damage to structures.1289 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 68 792 IDPs in Dar’a governorate.1290 
UNOCHA recorded 2 271 IDP movements in 2022, the highest numbers being recorded in 
May (508), October (490) and November (685).1291 Around 2 000 IDP movements recorded by 
UNOCHA in 2022 occurred within the governorate, while the rest were IDP movements from 
other governorates to Dar’a.1292 

According to the UN Security Council, clashes between GoS forces and opposition fighters in 
Tafas during July and August 2022 led to the displacement of around 2 500 persons to 
neighbouring areas.1293 The same source noted that during the anti-ISIL operations which took 
place in November 2022 in Dar’a al-Balad, around 6 750 persons were evacuated to other 
areas in the governorate.1294 In the first six months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 11 IDP 
movements from Dar’a governorate, 197 IDP movements within the governorate and 503 IDP 
arrivals to the governorate.1295 Clashes between GoS forces and opposition fighters which 
occurred in Tafas at the end of June 2023 reportedly led to unspecified number of residents 
being displaced to neighbouring areas in the governorate.1296 

UNOCHA recorded 7 352 IDP return movements in 2022, the highest numbers being 
recorded in November (2 512) and December (2 710).1297 Around 7 000 IDP return movements 
recorded by UNOCHA in 2022 occurred within the governorate, while around 200 were from 
Sweida to Dar’a.1298 In the first six months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 2 140 IDP returns to 
Dar’a governorate, 3 348 return movements within the governorate and 30 returns from the 
governorate.1299 The highest number of returns was recorded to As-Sanamayn district which 

1289 UN Habitat, Recovery of Services and Infrastructure in Syria. “Not If, But How?”, July 2022, url, p. 71 
1290 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1291 UNOCHA, IDP movements and IDP spontaneous return movements Data December 2022, updated 26 April 
2023, url 
1292 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
1293 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6 
1294 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para.8 
1295 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements 
(March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: 
IDP Movements (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
1296 New Arab (The), Clashes displace civilians in Tafas as Syrian regime attempt to storm town, 6 July 2023, url 
1297 UNOCHA, IDP movements and IDP spontaneous return movements Data December 2022, updated 26 April 
2023, url 
1298 UNOCHA, IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, 10 May 2023, url 
1299 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian 
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns 
(April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 
2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 

154 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

registered around 2 200 returns in May and June 2023, the majority coming from within the 
governorate.1300 No information on the reasons behind the returns movements was provided 
by the sources. 

UN Security Council reports covering the first five months of 2023 did not mention any 
displacement from or returns to Dar’a governorate.1301 No further information on displacement 
or returns for 2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

2.13.  Quneitra governorate 

1300 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian 
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
1301 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url 

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Map 18: © MapAction, Quneitra governorate1302  

2.13.1.  General description of the governorate  

The governorate of Quneitra is situated in southern Syria and it borders Lebanon, Jordan, and 
Israel. To the east, Quneitra governorate borders Dar’a governorate and Rural Damascus 
governorate.1303 The governorate is divided into two districts: the district of Quneitra, which 
comprises the sub-districts of Quneitra, Masaada, Khan Arnaba and al-Khashniyyeh, of which 
large parts are under Israeli control or administered by UNDOF (UN Disengagement Observer 
Forces). Especially Masaada is almost entirely under Israeli or UNDOF administration. The 
second district, al-Fiq, is divided into the sub-districts of Fiq and Al-Butayhah, with the latter 
being completely under Israeli control, while only a small part of Fiq is still under Syrian 
control.1304  

The city of Quneitra remained abandoned after it was destroyed by Israel in 1974 and is part of 
the demilitarised buffer zone between Syria and Israel under the supervision of UNDOF.1305 
The new provincial administrative centre is Madinat al-Baath (Baath city).1306 According to the 
latest UNOCHA figures published in December 2022, the estimated population of Quneitra is 
of 105 443 inhabitants.1307 

For more information on the ethnic and religious composition of Quneitra’s population, see the 
EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (July 2021). 

2.13.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

During the reporting period, Quneitra governorate was under the control of GoS. UNDOF was 
present in the demilitarized area between Golan Heights and Quneitra.1308 

Etana observed that southern Syria continues to be an area of influence for Iran1309 and its 
affiliated forces.1310 In April 2023, about 150 Hezbollah military troops joined the northern area 
of Quneitra. Moreover, in the same period, a new observation point has been settled by 
Hezbollah in the southern countryside of Quneitra, near to the Golan Heights.1311  

1302 MapAction, Syria Governorate Maps – Quneitra Governorate, last updated 29 July 2016, url 
1303 Based on UNOCHA, Quneitra Governorate Reference Map, February 2016, url  
1304 Based on UNOCHA, Quneitra Governorate Reference Map, February 2016, url 
1305 Encyclopedia Britannica, Al-Qunayṭirah, n.d., url 
1306 Reuters, Syrian insurgents attack government-held town near Israel, 20 November 2014, url  
1307 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1308 Based on the reading of the following maps: UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of 
influence as of December 2022, January 2023, url; Map in Jusoor for Studies, Map of military control across Syria 
at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, 2 January 2023, url; Carter Center, Exploring Historical Control in 
Syria Overview, url; Liveuamap, Syria, July 2023, url 
1309 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url 
1310 Al Arabya News, Israel shells pro-Iran group positions near Golan Heights: War monitor, url, 24 April 2023 
1311 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military 
points in Syria – mid 2023, 3 July 2023, url  

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A new group affiliated with IRGC, the Imam Brigade, is reportedly operational in the outskirts 
of Quneitra. The Imam Brigade has been created by Iranian-backed Al Quds in 2022 ‘to adapt 
to the pressure of Israeli airstrikes’.1312 

2.13.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

In the reference period, military attacks attributed to Israel have been reported in August 
2022, resulting in the wounding of two civilians,1313 and in late April 2023 without reporting any 
casualties.1314 The attacks targeted Iran-backed groups and Hezbollah-linked militias.1315  

In 2022, UNOCHA and UN Security Council reported regular security incidents across 
Quneitra governorate consisting of ‘IED attacks, targeted killings, kidnappings, exchanges of 
fire and limited clashes’ affecting civilians and the movement of people and goods.1316 For the 
period between February and May 2023, UN Security Council observed enduring security 
incidents across Quneitra governorate involving non-state armed groups, government and 
pro-government forces, ISIL and unidentified elements. The security incidents consisted in 
attacks with IEDs, targeted killings, kidnappings and limited clashes, attacks on checkpoints, 
and exchanges of fire.1317   

In April 2023, an Iranian drone has been shot down by Israel in northern Quneitra countryside 
shortly after Iran’s IRGC transferred several ground-to-air missiles in the area.1318 In July 2023, 
Israel military tanks reportedly entered at a depth of 150 meters inside Syrian areas under 
GoS’ control1319  Sources did not report any civilian casualties.1320 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 49 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Quneitra governorate, of which 16 were coded as battles, 24 as 

1312 CTC Sentinel, the Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions, Pierre Boussel, Volume 11, Issue 6, June 
2023, url, p. 3 
1313 Jusoor for Studies, The Israeli strikes in Syria during 2022, 28 December 2022, url; Al Arabya News, Israeli 
shelling wounds 2 near Golan Heights: Syrian state media, 12 August 2022, url 
1314 AP News, Syrian pro-government media say Israel shelled border town, 24 April 2023, url; Al Arabyia News, 
Israel shells pro-Iran group positions near Golan Heights: War monitor, 24 April 2023, url; Syria, Liveuamap, 19 April 
2023, url; The Jerusalem Post (The), Israeli artillery targets Hezbollah site in southwest Syria – report, 24 April 
2023, url  
1315 Al Arabya News, Israeli shelling wounds 2 near Golan Heights: Syrian state media, 12 August 2022, url; Security 
Council Report, June 2023, Monthly Forecast, 31 May 2023, url; Al Arabyia News, Israel shells pro-Iran group 
positions near Golan Heights: War monitor, 24 August 2022, url 
1316 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 12; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6; UN Security Council, Report 
of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, p. 3, para.8 
1317 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url, para.10; UN Security 
Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, p. 2, para.7 
1318 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria, 9 May 2023, url  
1319 MEMO, Israel forces enter Syria regime areas in Quneitra, 20 July 2023, url 
1320 Times of Israel (The), Israel said to shell Hezbollah position in southern Syria, drop threatening flyers, 24 April 
 2023, url; Crisis 24, Syria: Suspected Israeli artillery fire targets Qars al-Nafl area in Quneitra Governorate late April 
 23, 23 April 2023, url 

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explosions/remote violence and 9 as incidents of violence against civilians.1321 Security 
incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Quneitra (see Figure 30).  

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Quneitra 

Al Fiq 

Total 

16 

- 

16 

22 

2 

24 

9 

- 

9 

Figure 30. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Quneitra governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

According to ACLED, GoS and affiliated armed groups were involved in around 76 % of all 
recorded incidents (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’). Unidentified armed groups were 
involved  in around 69 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as battles and 
explosions/remote violence where GoS and affiliated armed groups were also an actor. Israeli 
forces were involved in around 27 % of all security incidents, the vast majority being coded as 
explosions/remote violence.  

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 10 civilian fatalities in 20211322 and one civilian fatality in 2022.1323 There 
were no civilian fatalities documented by SNHR between August 2022 and July 2023 in 
Quneitra governorate.1324 

1321 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
1322 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
1323 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
1324 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 

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(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

In its Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023, UNOCHA confirmed the trend observed in the 
previous years, documenting Quneitra governorate as one of the areas with highest 
percentages of communities affected by explosive contamination.1325 The UN Security Council 
report published in February 2023 also reported that Quneitra governorate recorded one of 
the highest percentage of communities affected by some form of explosive contamination, 
resulting in constraints in the access to agricultural fields, schools, markets, hospitals and 
roads.1326 

As reported in the UN Syria Multi-sector Needs Assessment of 2022, the Global Shelter 
Cluster assessed that 54 % of the assessed shelter in Quneitra governorate consisted of 
damaged buildings.1327 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 3 418 IDPs in Quneitra governorate.1328 
Between January and December 2022, UNOCHA recorded 111 IDP movements from the 
governorate, 18 IDP within the governorate and 87 IDP to the governorate.1329 For the period 
between January and June 2023, UNOCHA recorded a total of 15 IDP movements from the 
governorate and 36 IDP movements to Quneitra, while 4 IDP movements were recorded 
within the governorate.1330 In terms of spontaneous returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded 164 
IDP returnee movements to the governorate, 56 IDP returnees movements within the 
governorate and 31 returnee movements from the governorate.1331 During the period between 
January and June 2023, UNOCHA recorded 144 IDP returns to the governorate, 21 returns 
within the governorate and 1 906 returns of IDP from governorate.1332 

No further information on displacement or returns for 2023 could be found within the 
constraints of the research. 

1325 UNOCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 81 
1326  UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para.33, p. 7 
1327 Global Shelter Cluster, Syrian Arab Republic: Whole of Syria Shelter and NFI Sector Humanitarian Needs  
Overview, 14 February 2023, url, p. 6 
1328 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1329 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), url, 10 
May 2023 
1330 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab  
Republic: IDP Movements (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements  
(March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (April 2023), 7 August 2023, url;  
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic:  
IDP Movements (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 
1331 UNOCHA, Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022, url, 10 May 2023 
1332 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (January 2023), 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian 
Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (February 2023), 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (March 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns 
(April 2023), 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 
2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns (June 2023), 17 August 2023, url 

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2.14.  Sweida governorate  

Map 19: © MapAction, Sweida governorate1333 

2.14.1.  General description of the governorate  

Sweida (Suwayda) governorate is located in the southernmost corner of Syria.1334 It shares 
internal borders with the governorates of Rural Damascus to the north and north-east and 
Dar’a to the west as well as an international border with Jordan to its south.1335 The 
governorate comprises three administrative districts: as-Sweida, Shahba, and Salkhad.1336 A 
December 2022 UNOCHA report estimated the population of Sweida governorate to be 
379 223.1337  

1333 MapAction, Sweida Governorate, 29 July 2016, url 
1334 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation, TWI, 12 October 2022, url  
1335 UNCS and UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Reference Map, 17 January 2013, url; UNOCHA, Humanitarian Atlas, 
Syrian Arab Republic, January 2017, url, p. 17  
1336 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 134 
1337 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 

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The residents of Sweida governorate are predominantly Druze.1338 Further information on the 
governorate’s religious composition, as well as information on its societal structure and the 
prevalence of armed gangs and crime, including drug trafficking, can be found in an earlier 
issue of this report: EUAA COI report: Syria - Security situation (September 2022), section 
2.14.1. 

2.14.2.  Conflict background and armed actors  

Sweida remained formally under GoS control1339 and GoS security forces remained widely 
present in the governorate.1340 However, the governorate, which largely escaped fighting 
during the conflict years, enjoys semi-autonomous rule where responsibility for security largely 
lies with Druze militiamen known as ‘Men of Dignity’ (Rijal al-Karameh).1341 The GoS supported 
several loyal militia groups, although these acted independently.1342 Further background 
information on the governorate can be found in an earlier issue of this report: EUAA COI 
report: Syria - Security situation (September 2022), section 2.14.2. 

Sites operated by the GoS, its allies, and pro-GoS militias were located in the western half of 
the governorate, with concentrations around Sweida city and along the governorate’s western 
border with Dar’a.1343 The presence of the 15th division of the First Corps was concentrated in 
Sweida governorate, where its troops were deployed in a number of sites in the 
countryside.1344 The Russian-backed Fifth Corps was active in the governorate through its 
Eighth Brigade,1345 as was the elite Fourth Armoured Division of the SAA.1346 The NDF 
conducted patrols in the governorate.1347 While the GoS was previously reported to have 
‘fueled’ the Military Intelligence Directorate to conduct surveillance in the governorate,1348 in 
September 2022 it reportedly transferred the security file for Sweida to Hussam Louka, who 
heads the General Intelligence Directorate.1349 

1338 Makki, D., After deadly unrest in Sweida, Syria asks: Is there more to come?, MEE, 10 December 2022, url; Al 
Jazeera, At least 17 dead in rare clashes in Syria’s Sweida, 28 July 2022, url  
1339 UN Geospatial, Syrian Arab Republic: Approximate areas of influence as of December 2022 [Map], January 
2023, url; Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url; 
Liveuamap, Syria [Map], as of 2 August 2023, url  
1340 Omran Center for Strategic Studies, The Security Scene in Sweida: Context and Expected Outcomes, 26 August 
2022, url, p. 2 
1341 Makki, D., After deadly unrest in Sweida, Syria asks: Is there more to come?, MEE, 10 December 2022, url  
1342 Omran Center for Strategic Studies, The Security Scene in Sweida: Context and Expected Outcomes, 26 August 
2022, url, p. 2 
1343 Carter Center (The), Exploring Historical Control in Syria [Map], n.d., url. Set filters to Sweida and July 2023. 
1344 NPA, Government forces withdraw from checkpoints in Syria’s Suwayda, 8 February 2022, url  
1345 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 04 April 2023, 4 April 2023, url; Al Shami, I., Insight into As-
Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation, TWI, 12 October 2022, url; HLP Syria, Raids Target Displaced Bedouin 
Communities in Daraa and Suweida, 2 May 2023, url  
1346 TWI, To Ease Syria’s Energy Crisis, Assad Must Return to the Negotiating Table, 22 December 2022, url; NPA, 
Locals say government exploits insecurity in Suwayda for increased control, 31 May 2023, url  
1347 SOHR, By force | Gunmen free a detainee at prisons of National Defence Forces in Al-Suwaydaa, 19 April 2023, 
url  
1348 Omran Center for Strategic Studies, The Security Scene in Sweida: Context and Expected Outcomes, 26 August 
2022, url, p. 2 
1349 Syria Direct, Is Damascus reaping the fruits of local factions’ campaign against military security-linked ‘gangs’ in 
Suwayda?, 13 October 2022, url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

A number of Russian and Iranian sites were clustered in the governorate’s centre and west.1350 
Iranian-backed factions had a strong presence in the governorate and were ‘heavily involved’ 
in cross-border Captagon trade. The Sweida Military Security branch, though formally affiliated 
with Syria’s Russian-backed Military Intelligence Directorate, was reportedly under Iranian 
influence.1351 

Multiple local forces were active in the governorate. According to Syrian writer and activist 
Ishtar Al Shami,1352 some were tied to the GoS while others were opposed to it.1353 Meanwhile, 
according to Rayan Maarouf, director of the local Suwayda 24 network, the local factions 
‘maintain channels of communication’ with the GoS and its security services, although these 
channels ‘differ from one military group to another’.1354 These factions have clashed with each 
other on many occasions,1355 including in August 2022 when local factions mobilised against 
the Al-Fahd Forces, a militia group reportedly backed by the Military Intelligence 
Directorate.1356 As of October 2022, major local factions in Sweida governorate included the 
following: 

•  Men of Dignity Movement (Rijal al-Karameh),1357 largely seen as the faction ‘closest’ to 
Sweida’s residents. 1358 It declared that its operations aimed to ‘pursue the gangs 
trafficking drugs and kidnapping and extorting people, especially those affiliated with 
military security’;1359 

•  Sheikhs of Dignity Forces (a GoS opposition faction); 
•  NDF (a pro-GoS militia with close links to Iran and the Military Intelligence Directorate); 
•  Ahrar Jabal al-Arab Gathering (opposed to GoS); 
•  As-Suwayda Popular Resistance (the pro-GoS faction with the closest links to Iran and 

groups tied to the Military Intelligence Directorate); 

•  Al-Fahd Forces; 
•  Al-Fajr Forces (a pro-GoS faction with close links to Iran and Military Intelligence, 

known for drug trafficking and responsible for a number of killings).1360 

2.14.3.  Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population 

(a)  Security trends during the reporting period  

The situation in Sweida governorate has been characterized as unstable and chaotic,1361 with 
insecurity prevailing.1362 The UN Secretary-General noted that as of late summer and autumn 

1350 Jusoor for Studies, Map of foreign forces’ military points in Syria - mid 2023 [Map], 3 July 2023, url 
1351 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation, TWI, 12 October 2022, url  
1352 TWI, Ishtar Al Shami, n.d., url  
1353 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation, TWI, 12 October 2022, url 
1354 Syria Direct, Suwayda factions: Uprooting ‘the gangs’ or consolidating power?, 13 September 2022, url  
1355 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation, TWI, 12 October 2022, url  
1356 Syria Direct, Suwayda factions: Uprooting ‘the gangs’ or consolidating power?, 13 September 2022, url  
1357 Enab Baladi, Multiple conflicting forces on the ground portend possible clash in Syria’s As-Suwayda, 3 October 
2021, url  
1358 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation [Table], TWI, 12 October 2022, url  
1359 Syria Direct, Suwayda factions: Uprooting ‘the gangs’ or consolidating power?, 13 September 2022, url  
1360 Al Shami, I., Insight into As-Suwayda’s Position in the Syrian Situation [Table], TWI, 12 October 2022, url  
1361 NPA, Locals say government exploits insecurity in Suwayda for increased control, 31 May 2023, url  
1362 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 23  

162 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

2022, the southwestern governorates of Sweida, Dar’a and Quneitra continued to witness 
security incidents such as IED attacks, targeted killings, abductions, exchanges of fire1363 and 
limited clashes.1364 

Tensions between local residents/forces and the GoS 

On 4 December 2022, following several months of daily protests,1365 dozens of protesters 
decrying deteriorating living conditions stormed and ransacked the office of the governor in 
Sweida city.1366 According to the Ministry of Interior, protesters also attempted to seize the 
city’s police headquarters. One policeman1367 and one protester were killed in the ensuing 
clashes1368 during which security forces responded with gunfire.1369 This event was followed by 
large-scale security deployment in the area.1370 In August 2023, large scale anti-GoS protests 
over the deterioration of living conditions took place in Sweida.1371 The GoS reportedly 
refrained from cracking down on the demonstrations.1372 The protests were ongoing at the 
time of finalising this report. 

Tensions in July 2023 in the context of civilians being arrested by the security forces 
prompted residents1373 and armed group members1374 to block roads and detain members of 
GoS forces in at least two instances. 

Criminal gang activities, including kidnapping and killings 

Syrian Association for Citizen’s Dignity, an association formed by a group of displaced people 
from Syria, noted an increase in kidnappings by pro-GoS militias and gangs in the 
governorate.1375 Kidnappings of civilians were reported on the Damascus–Sweida road, 
frequently occurring around the al-Masmiyah security checkpoint,1376 but also between al-
Shahba city and as-Sweida.1377 Several civilians were kidnapped inside the city of as-

1363 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/956], 15 December 2022, url, para. 8; UN 
Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6  
1364 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2022/775], 19 October 2022, url, para. 6 
1365 Ezzi, M., What’s New About the Sweida Protests in Southern Syria?, EUI MEDirections Blog [Blog], 12 December 
2022, url  
1366 Reuters, Protesters storm governor's office in southern Syrian city, two killed in clashes, 5 December 2022, url  
1367 Arab Weekly (The), Syrian regime cracks down on protests in Druze-majority Sweida, 5 December 2022, url  
1368 Ezzi, M., What’s New About the Sweida Protests in Southern Syria?, EUI MEDirections Blog [Blog], 12 December 
2022, url  
1369 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
Republic, A/HRC/52/69, 7 February 2023, url, para. 49 
1370 Al Jazeera, Rare anti-government protest turns deadly in southern Syria, 4 December 2022, url  
1371 Al Monitor, New protest in regime-held south Syria over living conditions, 21 August 2023, url; Al Monitor, Will 
Syria’s Assad resort to violence as Suwayda protests grow?, 31 August 2023, url 
1372 Al Monitor, New protest in regime-held south Syria over living conditions, 21 August 2023, url; Etana Syria, 
MEMO: Anti-Regime Protests Expand Across Suwayda, 29 August 2023, url 
1373 MEMO, Residents detain regime officers in Syria's As-Suwayda, 18 July 2023, url 
1374 SOHR, Non-compliance by the regime | Armed gang kidnaps regime officer on road between Damascus and Al-
Suwaydaa, 25 July 2023, url 
1375 SACD, Kidnappings, murders, repression: Al-Suwayda reveals the price of normalising Assad, 24 August 2022, 
url  
1376 NPA, Locals say government exploits insecurity in Suwayda for increased control, 31 May 2023, url 
1377 SOHR, Al-Suwaydaa | Kidnapping gang demands huge ransoms and threatens to execute civilian, 5 June 2023, 
url  

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Sweida.1378 There were also ‘retaliatory, tit-for-tat kidnappings’ between rivalling gangs in 
Sweida and Dar’a that occasionally took a sectarian character.1379 

Moreover, the SOHR in January 2023 reported a rise in armed attacks and assassinations1380 
and recorded 19 murders between January and mid-July 2023.1381 Unidentified gunmen 
targeted civilians as part of robberies1382 or for unknown reasons1383 while there were reports 
of killings of persons affiliated with the GoS forces1384 or factions linked to the Military 
Intelligence Directorate.1385 Several persons were killed in armed disputes between 
individuals1386 or rural families1387 and altercations with a drug dealer1388 or Bedouin 
tribesmen.1389 In March 2023, clashes erupted between local armed men (supported by NDF 
militiamen) and Bedouin gunmen after the latter had attacked farmers in Al-Qarya village in the 
Sweida countryside.1390 

Sweeping anti-smuggling raids were carried out by the Eighth Brigade in March 2023 in 
western Sweida and eastern Dar’a, an area known for drug and weapons smuggling, with 
several arrests reported.1391 In May 2023, an alleged Jordanian military aircraft targeted the 
house of a prominent drug smuggler with links to Lebanese Hezbollah in the eastern Sweida 
countryside,1392 killing eight civilians.1393 

1378 SOHR, Amid gathering | Gunmen kidnap a young man in Al-Suwaydaa province, 12 June 2023, url; SOHR, 
Kidnapping for ransoms | Unidentified men kidnap civilian in Al-Suwaydaa, 14 December 2022, url; SOHR, In 24 
hours | Two civilians kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Al-Suwaydaa, 1 October 2022, url  
1379 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 06 November 2022, 6 November 2022, url  
1380 SOHR, Security chaos | Armed gang kidnaps three civilians in regime-held areas Al-Suwaydaa, 16 January 2023, 
url  
1381 SOHR, New murder | Young man shot dead in western Al-Suwaidaa, 12 July 2023, url  
1382 SOHR, Ongoing security chaos | Young man sustains injuries in armed attack in Al-Suwaidaa countryside, 27 
July 2023, url; SOHR, Lack of security | Unidentified gunmen kidnap civilian on road between Damascus and Al-
Suwaydaa, 14 January 2023, url; SOHR, Regime-held areas | Farmer shot dead in Al-Suwaydaa in light of escalating 
murder rate, 15 August 2022, url  
1383 SOHR, New murder crime in regime-held areas | Unknown person kills shepherd in western countryside of Al-
Suwaidaa, 4 May 2023, url  
1384 SOHR, Corruption cases | Regime soldier killed after members and commanders were exposed in Al-Suwaydaa, 
7 June 2023, url  
1385 SOHR, New assassination | Unidentified gunman shot head of armed group working for “Military Intelligence” in 
Al-Suwaidaa, 7 March 2023, url; SOHR, Latest development of Al-Suwaydaa clashes | Falhout prominent member 
found dead, bringing death toll of Falhout fightrs to seven, 2 August 2022, url  
1386 SOHR, New murder | Young man shot dead in western Al-Suwaidaa, 12 July 2023, url; SOHR, New murder | Man 
in his fifties shot dead in Al-Suwaidaa, 7 July 2023, url  
1387 SOHR, Tribal infighting | One killed and another injured in armed clashes between two families in Al-Suwaydaa, 
25 May 2023, url; SOHR, Family infighting | Three people killed and injured in Al-Suwaidaa countryside, 2 March 
2023, url 
1388 SOHR, For unknown reasons | Drug dealer kills young man in eastern Al-Suwaidaa countryside, 20 July 2023, 
url  
1389 SOHR, Tribal clashes | Two civilians killed in Al-Suwydaa countryside, 8 September 2022, url  
1390 SOHR, Following armed attack | National Defence forces join local gunmen in combatting Bedouins, 31 March 
2023, url  
1391 Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 04 April 2023, 4 April 2023, url  
1392 SOHR, Accompanied by his wife and six children | Most prominent drug dealer killed by airstrike at Syrian-
Jordanian border east of Al-Suwaidaa, 8 May 2023, url  
1393 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url, Annex I, p. 19 

164 

 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

(b)  Security incidents  

During the reporting period (1 August 2022 – 28 July 2023), there were 80 security incidents 
recorded by ACLED in Sweida governorate, of which 21 were coded as battles, 20 as 
explosions/remote violence and 39 as incidents of violence against civilians.1394 Security 
incidents were recorded in all governorate districts, with the highest number being 
documented in the district of Sweida (see Figure 31). 

According to ACLED, unidentified armed groups were involved (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or 
‘Actor2’) in around 76 % of all security incidents, mostly in incidents coded as violence against 
civilians. GoS forces and affiliated armed groups were involved in around 24 % of all security 
incidents, mainly in security incidents coded ‘battles’. Israeli forces were involved in around 
8 % of all security incidents, the vast majority being coded as explosions/remote violence. 

District 

Battles 

Remote violence 

Violence against 
civilians 

Sweida 

Salkhad 

Shahba 

Total  

13 

5 

3 

21 

13 

3 

4 

20 

29 

2 

8 

39 

Figure 31. Security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence 
against civilians in Sweida governorate between 1 August 2022 and 28 July 2023. 
Breakdown by district based on ACLED data 

(c)  Civilian fatalities  

SNHR documented 13 civilian fatalities in 20211395 and 32 in 2022.1396 Between August 2022 
and July 2023, SNHR documented 24 civilian fatalities in Sweida governorate (12 civilian 
fatalities were documented between August – December 2022 and 12 between January – 
July 2023).1397 

1394 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
url 
1395 SNHR, 1,271 Civilians, Including 299 Children, 134 Women, and 104 Victims of Torture, Killed in Syria in 2021, 1 
January 2022, url, p. 11 
1396 SNHR, 1,057 Civilians, Including 251 Children, 94 Women, and 133 Victims Who Died due to Torture, Were 
Documented Killed in Syria, in 2022, 1 January 2023, url, p. 10 
1397 Monthly civilian fatalities figures for August 2022 – June 2023 shared by SNHR with EUAA; SNHR, 55 Civilians, 
Including 16 Children, Four Woman, and Three Individuals Who Died due to Torture Documented Killed in July 
2023 in Syria, 1 August 2023, url, p. 8 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

(d)  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

According to the UN Secretary-General, Sweida was one of the governorates with the highest 
percentages of communities affected by explosive contamination.1398 During the first quarter of 
2023, the NPA reported two deaths from remnants of war in the governorate.1399 The 
reference period witnessed civilian deaths from remnants of war in the northern Sweida 
countryside.1400 

(e)  Displacement and return  

According to UNOCHA, as of May 2022 there were 70 931 IDPs in Sweida governorate.1401 
Over the year 2022, there were approximately 360 IDP movements out of Sweida and 2 560 
IDP movements into the governorate as well as about 440 movements within the 
governorate.1402 During the first five months of 2023, there were 120 recorded IDP movements 
into Sweida, nearly all them occurring in February (44) and May (74), while UNOCHA did not 
record any IDP movements out of Sweida or within the governorate.1403 However, following 
eviction raids by GoS forces and allied militias on encampments of displaced Bedouins in the 
area between Sama al-Henaidat (western Sweida) and al-Mliha (eastern Dar’a) in late April 
2023, many Bedouin families were displaced and moved into the Badia desert area of eastern 
Sweida.1404 Further information on reasons behind displacements could not be found within 
the time constraints of this report. 

As regards returns, in 2022 UNOCHA recorded approximately 690 spontaneous IDP returnee 
movements from Sweida to other governorates and about 70 IDP returnee movements from 
other governorates into Sweida as well as about 170 movements within Sweida.1405 During the 
first five months of 2023, UNOCHA recorded 21 spontaneous IDP returnee movements from 
other governorates into Sweida (all of them occurring in April) and 313 IDP returnee 
movements from Sweida to other governorates, most of which occurred in March (168) and 
May (113). In addition, there were 21 recorded returnee movements within the governorate.1406 
No information on the reasons behind these return movements was provided. 

1398 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url, para. 33 
1399 NPA, Remnants of war kill 331 people in 1st quarter of 2023 in Syria, 4 April 2023, url  
1400 SOHR, Two separate incidents | Explosions of old landmines in regime-controlled areas kill five young men, 26 
February 2023, url; SOHR, Old ordnance | Landmine explosion kills young man in Al-Suwaydaa desert, 2 November 
2022, url  
1401 UNOCHA, 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab Republic, 22 December 2022, url, p. 33 
1402 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 December 2022), 10 May 
2023, url 
1403 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, 
March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, 
Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Movements, May 2023, 9 August 2023, url  
1404 HLP Syria, Raids Target Displaced Bedouin Communities in Daraa and Suweida, 2 May 2023, url  
1405 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements Overview, Jan - Dec 2022 (As of 31 
December 2022), 10 May 2023, url  
1406 UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, January 2023, 10 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: Spontaneous IDP Returnee Movements, February 2023, 28 July 2023, url; 
UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, March 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab 
Republic: IDP Spontaneous Returns, April 2023, 7 August 2023, url; UNOCHA, Syrian Arab Republic: IDP 
Spontaneous Returns (May 2023), 9 August 2023, url 

166 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

More recent data on conflict-induced displacement and spontaneous returns by UNOCHA was 
not available at the time of writing this report. UN Security Council reports covering the first 
five months of 2023 did not contain any further information on displacement from or returns to 
Sweida governorate.1407 No further information on conflict-induced displacement or returns for 
2023 could be found within the constraints of the research. 

1407 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/464], 22 June 2023, url; UN Security Council, 
Report of the Secretary-General [S/2023/284], 20 April 2023, url; UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-
General [S/2023/127], 21 February 2023, url 

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EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Annex 1: Bibliography 

Oral sources, including anonymous sources 

EUAA email correspondence with SNHR, 4, 7 and 31 July 2023. The Syrian Network of Human 
Rights (SNHR) is a non-profit human rights organisation founded in 2011 which works on 
documenting human rights violations in Syria. 

Public Sources 

Abdeh, M. and Hauch, L., Rebel infighting foreshadows the next phase of the Syrian conflict, 
Atlantic Council, 1 December 2022, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/rebel-
infighting-foreshadows-the-next-phase-of-the-syrian-conflict/ accessed 2 August 2023 

ACAPS, Syria: Assessing increased protection risks and vulnerabilities after the earthquakes, 
16 June 2023, 
https://www.acaps.org/fileadmin/Data_Product/Main_media/20230616_acaps_thematic_repor
t_syria_assessing_increased_protection_risks_and_vulnerabilities_after_the_earthq.pdf 
accessed 26 July 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), ACLED Regional Overview - Middle 
East (10 - 16 September 2022), 22 September 2022, 
https://acleddata.com/2022/09/22/regional-overview-middle-east-10-16-september-2022/ 
accessed 26 July 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), ACLED Regional Overview - Middle 
East (29 October - 4 November 2022), 10 November 2022, 
https://acleddata.com/2022/11/10/regional-overview-middle-east-29-october-4-november-
2022/ accessed 2 August 2023 accessed 26 July 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), Actor Profile: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham 
(HTS), 26 July 2023, https://acleddata.com/2023/07/26/actor-profile-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-hts/ 
accessed 26 July 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), Armed Conflict Location & Event Data 
Project (ACLED) Codebook, 2023, https://acleddata.com/download/2827/ accessed 4 August 
2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 
August 2023), https://acleddata.com/data-export-tool/ accessed 4 August 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), FAQs: ACLED Sourcing Methodology, 
March 2023, https://acleddata.com/acleddatanew/wp-

168 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/03/FAQs_ACLED-Sourcing-Methodology.pdf accessed 
2 August 2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), Methodology, April 2019, 
urlhttps://acleddata.com/acleddatanew/wp-
content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2019/04/Methodology-Overview_FINAL.pdf accessed 4 August 
2023 

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), Syria Partner Network, April 2019, 
https://acleddata.com/syria-partner-network/ accessed 4 August 2023 

ACLED, ACLED Integrates New Partner Data on the War in Syria 5 April 2019, 
https://acleddata.com/2019/04/05/press-release-acled-integrates-new-partner-data-on-the-
war-in-syria/ accessed 4 August 2023 

ACLED, Regional Overview: Middle East 11-17 September 2021, 22 September 2021, 
https://acleddata.com/2021/09/22/regional-overview-middle-east11-17-september-2021/ 
accessed 21 August 2023 

AFN News, Afrin Liberation Forces publish balance sheet of actions they carried out in July, 1 
August 2023, https://anfenglish.com/culture/afrin-liberation-forces-publish-balance-sheet-of-
actions-they-carried-out-in-july-68585 accessed 21 August 2023 

AFP (Agence France Presse), Israeli strikes on Syrian capital's airport kill four: monitor, 2 
January 2023 https://www.dowjones.com/professional/factiva/ accessed 21 August 2023 

AFP (Agence France Presse), New Israeli strike on Syria kills two civilians: state media, 4 April 
2023 https://www.dowjones.com/professional/factiva/ accessed 4 August 2023 

AFP (Agence France Presse), Policeman killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 
May 2023, https://www.voanews.com/a/police-officer-killed-in-is-claimed-syria-car-
bombing/7087622.html#:~:text=A%20Syrian%20police%20officer%20was,colonel%20and%20
wounding%20four%20others accessed 21 August 2023 

AFP (Agence France Presse), Russia sends reinforcements to northern Syria, 30 November 
2022 https://www.dowjones.com/professional/factiva/ 

AFP, Policeman killed in Damascus car bombing claimed by IS, 10 May 2023 
https://www.dowjones.com/professional/factiva/ 

AI (Amnesty International), Amnesty International Report 2022/23 – Syria, 27 March 2023, 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/WEBPOL1056702023ENGLISH-
2.pdf 

AI (Amnesty International), UN must continue cross-border aid regardless of UN Security 
Council or Syrian government approval, 12 May 2023, https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-
content/uploads/2023/05/MDE2467572023ENGLISH.pdf accessed 21 August 2023 

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AI, Syria: Vital earthquake aid blocked or diverted in Aleppo’s desperate hour of need, 6 
March 2023, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/03/syria-vital-earthquake-aid-
blocked-or-diverted-in-aleppos-desperate-hour-of-need/ accessed 3 August 2023 

Airwars, continually updated tracker is available via the following link: 
https://airwars.org/conflict/russian-military-in-syria/ accessed 3 August 2023 

Airwars, Syria: Incidents with Civilian Harm Allegations: Aug 1 2022-Jul 31 2023, n.d., 
https://airwars.org/civilian-casualties/?civilian_harm_reported=yes&start_date=2022-08-
01&country=syria accessed 24 July 2023 

Airwars, Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria, n.d., https://airwars.org/conflict/turkish-military-in-iraq-
and-syria/ accessed 24 July 2023 

Airwars, Who we are, n.d., https://airwars.org/about/team/ accessed 24 July 2023 

Ajjoub, O., HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria’s north, MEI, 26 October 2022, 
https://www.mei.edu/publications/hts-turkey-and-future-syrias-north accessed 24 July 2023 

Al Arabiya, At least 10 workers killed in attack near oil field in Syria’s Deir Ezzor, 30 December 
2022, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/12/30/At-least-10-workers-killed-in-
attack-near-oil-field-in-Syria-s-Deir-Ezzor accessed 3 August 2023 

Al Arabiya, Attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria will draw prompt response, Tehran warns, 25 
March 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/03/25/Attacks-on-Iran-
linked-targets-in-Syria-will-draw-prompt-response-Tehran-warns accessed 24 July 2023 

  ..

نمف

؟وه

ءاول

 ىنبتي

ليصف

 سدقلا

 فصق

نلاوجلا

 [Liwa al-Quds faction claims responsibility for 

Al Arabiya, 
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 [Killing of important ISIL leader 

 "

  "

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لتقم

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ةيلمعب

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179 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

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Clingendael, Turkey’s interventions in its near abroad: The case of Idlib, September 2021, 
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09/Policy_brief_Turkeys_interventions_in_near_abroad_September_2021.pdf accessed 
27 July 2023 

CNN, ‘Secondary disaster’ looms as UN aid finally reaches survivors battling frozen conditions 
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Crisis 24, Syria: Suspected Israeli artillery fire targets Qars al-Nafl area in Quneitra 
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26 July 2023 

180 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Denmark, DIS, Syria – The Special Forces and the elite units, April 2023, 
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2022, https://us.dk/media/10559/syria_-recruitment-to-opposition-groups_tilgaengelig.pdf 
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2023 

DW (Deutsche Welle), Syria says Israeli strike briefly paralyzed Damascus airport, 2 January 
2023, https://www.dw.com/en/syria-says-israeli-strike-briefly-paralyzed-damascus-airport/a-
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DW (Deutsche Welle), What's behind the latest Russian airstrikes in Syria?, 2 July 2023, 
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accessed 31 July 2023 

Edwards, M., and Al-Homsi, O., Jordan returns refugees to desolate Syrian border camp, rights 
groups cry foul, TNH, 16 September 2020, https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-
feature/2020/09/16/Jordan-expels-syrians-rukban-refugee-camp accessed 31 July 2023 

 وحن

 زازعا

Enab Baladi, 
"ثلاثلا
the ‘Third Corps’ withdraws towards Azaz], 13 October 2022, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/609111 accessed 31 July 2023 

قليفلا"و

ريرحت"

بحسني

نيرفع

"ماشلا

محتقت

 [‘Tahrir al-Sham’ enters Afrin and 

Enab Baladi, Daraa al-Balad residents search for livelihoods despite destruction, 19 June 
2023, https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2023/06/daraa-al-balad-residents-search-for-
livelihoods-despite-destruction/ accessed 4 August 2023 

Enab Baladi, Daraa not the same after anti-IS campaign, 12 January 2023, 
https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2023/01/daraa-not-the-same-after-anti-is-campaign/ 

Enab Baladi, Mines and war remnants in Homs still fatal danger, no response, 9 November 
2022, https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2022/11/mines-and-war-remnants-in-homs-still-
fatal-danger-no-response/ accessed 31 July 2023 

Enab Baladi, Multiple conflicting forces on the ground portend possible clash in Syria’s As-
Suwayda, 3 October 2021, https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2021/10/multiple-conflicting-
forces-on-the-ground-portend-possible-clash-in-syrias-as-suwayda/ accessed 31 July 2023 

181 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Enab Baladi, Russia claims killing 20 IS fighters in Daraa; What is the truth behind?, 18 October 
2022, https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2022/10/russia-claims-killing-20-is-fighters-in-
daraa-what-is-the-truth-behind/ accessed 4 August 2023 

Enab Baladi, SDF operations in al-Hol camp: The “dismemberment plan”, 6 September 2022, 
https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2022/09/sdf-operations-in-al-hol-camp-the-
dismemberment-plan/ accessed 2 August 2023 

Enab Baladi, Shift in religious discourse, will al-Jolani clash with HTS Sharia scholars?, 17 May 
2023, https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2023/05/shift-in-religious-discourse-will-al-
jolani-clash-with-hts-sharia-scholars/ accessed 4 August 2023 

Enab Baladi, Unexploded ordnance: A fatal threat for Daraa children, 14 July 2023, 
https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2023/07/unexploded-ordnance-a-fatal-threat-for-
daraa-children/ accessed 4 August 2023 

 صمح

” فيرب

Enab Baladi, 
after confrontations in Talbiseh in rural Homs], 24 March 2023, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/635007 accessed 4 August 2023 

تازيزعتو

 تاهجاوم

 بقع 

ةسيبلت

 ينمأ

رتوت

 “

 [Security tensions and reinforcements 

ءاتشلا

 ىلع  باوبأ

Enab Baladi, 
exploits forest trees at the gates of winter], 28 October 2022, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/611323 accessed 22 August 2023 

جارحلا

ةعبارلا

صمح

راجشأ

لغتست

ةقرفلا

“ ..

” 

 [Homs: The Fourth Division 

 طيحم

ةسيبلت

Enab Baladi, 
ةيركسع
reinforcements to the vicinity of Talbiseh], 25 May 2023, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/642991 accessed 22 August 2023 

تازيزعتب

صمح

ماظنلا

 عفدي

 ىلإ

 ..

 [Homs: The regime sends military 

Enab Baladi, تاردخملا راجت نم تاعومجم نيب تاهجاومب ىحرجو ىلتق ..صمح [Homs: Injuries and deaths 
during confrontations between drug dealing groups], 1 December 2022, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/617039 accessed 23 August 2023 

Enab Baladi,  ةهج يلأ هتيعبت يفنيو هفوفص ززعي ”ءابهشلا عمجت“ ..بلح فير [Rural Aleppo: ‘Al-Shahba 
Gathering’ strengthens its ranks and denies its affiliation with any party], 28 February 2023, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/631214#ixzz7zhPw3m3X;  

  (

ويديف

ةسيبلت

Enab Baladi,
 )
صمح
arrest of renown men in Talbiseh (Video)], 5 January 2023, 
https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/622088 accessed 22 August 2023 

تاقرط

ءاهجو

لاقتعا

 ىلع 

ةيفلخ

عطق

  يف

  ..

 [Homs: Blocked roads due to the 

Encyclopedia Britannica, Al-Qunayṭ irah, n.d., https://www.britannica.com/place/al-Qunaytirah 
accessed 22 August 2023 

EPC (Emirates Policy Center), About us, n.d., https://epc.ae/en/about-us accessed 22 August 
2023 

182 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
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Etana Syria, Attacks & Assassinations in South-West Syria, 28 July 2022, 
https://etanasyria.org/attacks-assassinations-in-south-west-syria-28-july-2022/ accessed 22 
August 2023 

Etana Syria, MEMO: Anti-Regime Protests Expand Across Suwayda, 29 August 2023, 
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August 2023 

Etana Syria, South Syria’s Drug Supply Chains, June 2023, https://etanasyria.org/study-south-
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Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: June 2023, June 2023, https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-
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Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – 02 November 2022, 2 November 2022, 
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August 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – 04 October 2022, 4 October 2022, 
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July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria – April 2023, 11 April 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-east-syria-11-april-2023/ accessed 21 July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - June 2023, 10 July 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-east-syria-june-2023/ accessed 21 July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-East Syria - May 2023, 8 June 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-east-syria-may-2023-2/ accessed 21 July 2023 

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https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-east-syria-may-2023/ accessed 23 July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 03 November 2022, 3 November 2022, 
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July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 04 October 2022, 4 October 2022, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-04-october-2022/ accessed 21 July 
2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 05 December 2022, 5 December 2022, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-05-december-2022/ accessed 21 
July 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 06 April 2023, 6 April 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-06-april-2023/ accessed 27 July 
2023 

183 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – 08 September 2022, 8 September 2022, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-08-september-2022/  accessed 3 
August 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: North-West Syria – July 2023, 10 August 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-july/ accessed 3 August 2023 

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https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-june-2023/ accessed 3 August 2023 

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https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-north-west-syria-may-2023/ accessed 3 August 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 04 April 2023, 4 April 2023, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-south-syria-04-april-2023/ accessed 4 August 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 06 November 2022, 6 November 2022, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-south-syria-06-november-2022/ accessed 3 August 
2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 18 January 2023, https://etanasyria.org/syria-
military-brief-south-syria-18-january-2023/ accessed 3 August 2023 

Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria – 18 January 2023, https://etanasyria.org/syria-
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Etana Syria, Syria Military Brief: South Syria - June 2023, 4 July 203, 
https://etanasyria.org/syria-military-brief-south-syria-june-2023/ accessed 4 August 2023  

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brief-south-syria-04-april-2023/ accessed 4 August 2023 

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brief-south-syria-april-2023/ accessed 22 August 2023 

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EUAA analysis based on ACLED data. ACLED, Data Export Tool, Middle East (4 August 2023), 
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184 

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EUAA analysis based on Waters, G., ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in August 2022, 
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EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (July 2021) 
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ity_situation.pdf accessed 4 July 2023 

EUAA COI Report: Syria - Security situation (May 2020) 
https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/05_2020_EASO_COI_Report_Syria_Secu
rity_situation.pdf accessed 4 July 2023 

EUAA COI Report: Syria – Security situation, September 2022, 
https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2022_09_EUAA_COI_Report_Syria_Secu
rity_situation.pdf accessed 4 July 2023 

EUAA, EUAA Country of Origin Information (COI) Report Methodology, February 2023, 
https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2023_02_EUAA_COI_Report_methodolo
gy.pdf accessed 4 July 2023 

EUAA, Writing and Referencing Guide for EUAA Country of Origin Information (COI) Reports, 
February 2023, 
https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2023_02_EUAA_COI_Writing_and_refer
encing_guide.pdf accessed 4 July 2023 

Ezzi, M., What’s New About the Sweida Protests in Southern Syria?, EUI MEDirections Blog 
[Blog], 12 December 2022, https://blogs.eui.eu/medirections/whats-new-about-the-sweida-
protests-in-southern-syria/ accessed 23 July 2023 

Financial Times (The), Economic crisis begins to crack the bedrock of Assad’s Alawi support, 
13 April 2021,  https://www.ft.com/content/794a8db4-0c9e-4495-bae1-433d66b2cf41 accessed 
3 July 2023 

France 24, Israeli air strikes kill one soldier, put Syria's Aleppo airport out of service, 2 May 
2023, https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20230502-israeli-air-strikes-kill-one-soldier-put-
syria-s-aleppo-airport-out-of-service accessed 23 July 2023 

France 24, More than a dozen killed in Israel's 'deadliest attack' on Syrian capital Damascus, 
19 February 2023, https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230219-more-than-a-dozen-
people-killed-in-israel-s-deadliest-attack-on-syrian-capital-of-damascus accessed 23 July 2023 

France 24, Russia sends troop reinforcements to Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, 1 
December 2022, https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20221201-russia-sends-troop-
reinforcements-to-kurdish-controlled-northern-syria accessed 23 July 2023 

France 24, Turkish strikes target Kurdish forces guarding Syrian detention camp, 23 November 
2022, https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20221123-turkish-strikes-target-kurdish-
forces-guarding-syrian-detention-camp  accessed  7  August 2023 

185 

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France 24, War on Captagon key to Syria's return to Arab League, 19 May 2023, 
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230519-war-on-captagon-key-to-syria-s-return-to-
arab-league accessed  7  August 2023 

وكسوم

 يف

 ىلإ

 طسو

 تحت

 ايروس

 قطانم

ةرطيس

ةيكرتلا

داركلأا

ماظنلاو

رارمتسا

ةيركسع

تازيزعت

تاديدهتلا

France 24, 
لسرت
[Moscow sends military reinforcements to areas under Kurdish and Regime control amid 
ongoing Turkish threats], 30 November 2022, 
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%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AA-
%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-
%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-
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France24, War on Captagon key to Syria's return to Arab League, 19 May 2023, 
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FT, Syria: what is Turkey’s grand plan?, 25 July 2022, https://www.ft.com/content/a14241de-
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186 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

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 [The Syrian regime sends military 

 ىلإ

 عفدي

ماظنلا

جبنمو

يروسلا

ةيركسع

تازيزعتب

  لت تعفر

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%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9-
%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AA-
%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-
%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%AA-
%D9%88%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%AC accessed 2 August 2023 

  :

 "

ةريبك

 سفط

ماظنلا

  تاوق

رئاسخ

ةيروس

راصح

 "ببسب

يعرازمل

 [Syria: Great losses for 

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%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-
%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A-
%22%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%B3%22-%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-
%D8%AD%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85 accessed 2 August 2023 

  "

 "

ىلتق

 نم 

 "يف

موجه

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 سدقلا

ايشيلم

ةيروس

  ـل"شعاد

New Arab (The), 
 يقرش
ءاول
killed in ISIL attack in eastern Syria], 8 June 2023, 
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%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3-%D9%81%D9%8A-
%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%80%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-
%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9 accessed 
4 August 2023 

 [SNA members killed 

 "

  ـل"

 دسق

ىلتق

 بلح

  "يف

ءارج

 فير

 فصق

ينطولا

 يروسلا

 ـل"شيجلا

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ىحرجو
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%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%89-
%D9%84%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-
%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%84%D9%80%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-
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تاوق

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ماظنلا

لاسرإ

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اهتازيزعت

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204 

 
 
 
 
 
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205 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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206 

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207 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

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SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in April 2023 | Public uprising against Turkish forces…ongoing 
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SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in June 2023 | Public protests against corruption and violations 
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SOHR, “Peace Spring” areas in March 2023 | Turkish-backed factions continues their 
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SOHR, “Putin-Erdogan” area | Factions target positions of regime forces in Hama, Aleppo and 
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SOHR, “Putin-Erdogan” area in May 2023 | Resumption of airstrikes by Russian fighter 
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SOHR, 17th attack in 2023 | Israeli missiles hit positions of Lebanese Hezbollah in vicinity of 
Damascus, 28 May 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/300043/ accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, 2022 | Israel attacks Syria on 32 occasions, destroying 91 targets and killing and 
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4 August 2023 

SOHR, 28 Israeli attacks in 2022 | Violent explosions rock areas nearby Damascus airport and 
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4 August 2023 

SOHR, Accompanied by his wife and six children | Most prominent drug dealer killed by 
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SOHR, Accused of “filming police station” | Police officers arrest two civilians in Qudsaya 
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4 August 2023 

SOHR, After five killed in clashes | Alarming calm spread among residents of Bait Jinn in Rif 
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208 

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Al-Raqqa countryside leaves four fighters killed, 16 September 2022, 
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SOHR, After refusing to rent his farm | “National Defence” members arrest civilian and his son 
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SOHR, Alarming living crises | Turkish airstrikes on vital institutions and infrastructure affect 
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SOHR, Al-Suwaydaa | Kidnapping gang demands huge ransoms and threatens to execute 
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SOHR, Amid gathering | Gunmen kidnap a young man in Al-Suwaydaa province, 12 June 2023, 
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SOHR, Amid high security mobilization | Gunmen attack regime checkpoint in Rif Dimashq and 
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SOHR, Death toll update | Three civilians killed including child in Turkish drone attack on car in 
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209 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

SOHR, Deir Ezzor | Member close to “NDF” leader killed during armed clash with regime 
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SOHR, Dispute over drug trade | “Airforce Intelligence” member shot dead by IRGC in Al-
Bokamal city, 21 January 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/285504/ accessed 3 August 2023 

SOHR, Disputes over narcotics | Two “National Defence” members killed in clashes at 
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3 August 2023 

SOHR, Earlier “ISIS” attack | Member of SDF killed in eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, 2 
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SOHR, Earlier ISIS attack | Member of “SDF” checkpoint killed in Deir Ezzor countryside, 5 
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SOHR, Escalating crimes in regime areas | Residents find body of young man killed in Rif 
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SOHR, Family infighting | Three people killed and injured in Al-Suwaidaa countryside, 2 March 
2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/290276/ accessed 26 July 2023 

SOHR, Following armed attack | National Defence forces join local gunmen in combatting 
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SOHR, Following quarrel | Members of 4th Division kill collaborator with military intelligence 
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SOHR, For belonging to National Defence | Military Intelligence releases two thieves in Al-
Qalmon countryside, 1 February 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/287061/ accessed 26 July 
2023 

SOHR, For unknown reasons | Drug dealer kills young man in eastern Al-Suwaidaa 
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SOHR, Fortifying their military positions | “4th Division” forces civilians to evacuate their homes 
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SOHR, Growing tension | Clashes between two groups affiliated with 4th Division and military 
intelligence services in Rif Dimashq leave casualties, 4 February 2023, 
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SOHR, Hama desert in April | 54 people killed including 36 civilians by ISIS attacks and 
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210 

SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

SOHR, Head and limbs separated | Cleaners find body of unidentified man in southern Rif 
Dimashq, 24 October 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/273166/ accessed 26 July 2023 

SOHR, IED attack | Commander in 4th Division killed in Rif Dimashq, 27 June 2023, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/302779/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, IED explosion | Local commander of Military Intelligence Department assassinated in 
Rif Dimashq, 30 May 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/300200/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, In 24 hours | Two civilians kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Al-Suwaydaa, 1 
October 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/269842/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, Including two children | Unknown gunmen kidnap eight shepherds and steal nearly 
200 sheep in Al-Masrab desert in western Deir Ezzor, 3 March 2023, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/290359/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, Iran’s presence in Syria in May 2023 | Frequent meetings by commanders…noticeable 
escalation of cultural centres’ activities in west Euphrates…ongoing recruitment and taking 
over of properties in Aleppo and Rif Dimashq, 4 June 2023, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/300582/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, ISIS attacks in SDF-held areas | 11 people, including nine SDF members, killed in 16 
operations and attacks by ISIS since early December 2022, 26 December 2022, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/282217/ accessed 4 August 2023 

SOHR, ISIS attacks since early 2023 | 25 people, mostly combatants, killed and injured in over 
14 operations in SDF-held areas, 14 January 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/284613/ 
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SOHR, ISIS resurgence | Asayish member killed and others injured in attack on checkpoint in 
eastern Deir Ezzor, 26 February 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/289895/ accessed 31 July 
2023 

SOHR, ISIS resurgence | Member of Iran-backed militias killed in an attack in Deir Ezzor, 13 
September 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/267474/ accessed 31 July 2023 

SOHR, Israeli airstrikes | Three non-Syrian fighters backed by Lebanese Hezbollah killed in Al-
Sayyida Zainab area in Rif Dimashq, 20 December 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/281211/ 
accessed 31 July 2023 

SOHR, Israeli attacks in 2022 | 33 targets destroyed and nearly 70 people killed and wounded 
in 12 attacks so far, 15 May 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/251651/ accessed 31 July 2023 

SOHR, Kidnapping for ransoms | Unidentified men kidnap civilian in Al-Suwaydaa, 14 
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SOHR, Lack of security | Unidentified gunmen kidnap civilian on road between Damascus and 
Al-Suwaydaa, 14 January 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/284692/ accessed 31 July 2023 

211 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

SOHR, Latest development of Al-Suwaydaa clashes | Falhout prominent member found dead, 
bringing death toll of Falhout fightrs to seven, 2 August 2022, 
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SOHR, Missing for 15 days | Four NDF members found dead in Deir Ezzor desert, 25 March 
2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/293361/ accessed 22 August 2023    

SOHR, More seven bodies found | The number of NDF members killed by ISIS cells in Deir 
Ezzor desert jumps to 12, 27 March 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/293658/ accessed 22 
August 2023    

SOHR, More than 30 shells | Military Intelligence Department shells Bait Jinn town in Rif 
Dimashq, 1 June 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/300489/ accessed 22 August 2023    

SOHR, Murders in regime-held areas | Residents of Al-Kiswah area in Rif Dimashq found 
civilian’s body, 22 November 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/277146/ accessed 22 August 
2023    

SOHR, Murders in regime-held areas | Woman shot dead by 4th Division member in Rif 
Dimashq, 5 September 2022, https://www.syriahr.com/en/266209/ accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, New assassination | ISIS cells kill oil investor in Deir Ezzor countryside, 23 February 
2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/289581/ accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, New assassination | Unidentified gunman shot head of armed group working for 
“Military Intelligence” in Al-Suwaidaa, 7 March 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/290981/ 
accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, New murder | Man in his fifties shot dead in Al-Suwaidaa, 7 July 2023, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/303637/ accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, New murder | Young man shot dead in western Al-Suwaidaa, 12 July 2023, 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/304233/ accessed 27 July 2023 

SOHR, New murder crime in regime-held areas | Unknown person kills shepherd in western 
countryside of Al-Suwaidaa, 4 May 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/297964/ accessed 
27 July 2023 

SOHR, Non-compliance by the regime | Armed gang kidnaps regime officer on road between 
Damascus and Al-Suwaydaa, 25 July 2023, https://www.syriahr.com/en/305640/ accessed 
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SOHR, Old ordnance | Five civilians, including two children, injured in Rif Dimashq, 24 
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212 

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213 

EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR ASYLUM 

SOHR, SDF-held areas in January 2023 | Nearly 50 deaths in acts of violence…21 attacks by 
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 دسق

 ىلإ

 لسري

ماظنلا

 نيع 

ىسيع

ةدناسمل

 يروسلا

تازيزعت

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Syria TV, 
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  ادر ىلع 

 "

 دسق

 لكل

عقاوم

 نم  "

 بابلا

لئاصف

ةرزجم

ماظنلاو

ينطولا

 شيجلا

  فصقت

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232 

 
SYRIA – SECURITY SITUATION 

Annex 2: Terms of Reference 

The research should focus on the period between August 2022 – August 2023. Background 
information and older trends should be kept very brief and crosslinked as much as possible with 
previous  reports  published:  Security  situation  (September  2022)  and  Security  situation  (July 
2021). 

Research should cover the following:   

❑  General description of the security situation  

▪  Overview of the conflict 

o  Political developments  

o 

International involvement 

o  Recent security trends and armed confrontations during the reference period 

▪  Actors in conflict  

o  Brief description and capacity 

o  Presence and areas of control/influence of the different actors  

o  Type of weapons and tactics used  

▪  Impact of violence on the civilian population 

o  Tactics and weapons used 

o  Security incidents  

o  Civilian casualties  

o  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  

o  Conflict-induced displacement and return 

❑  Security situation and conflict impact on civilians by governorates  

The below structure is to be replicated for each governorate. 

▪  General description of the governorate 
▪  Actors involved in the conflict during the reference period  
▪  Recent security trends  
▪  Impact of the security situation on the civilian population 

▪  Security incidents  
▪  Civilian casualties  
▪  Conflict-related infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war  
▪  Conflict-induced displacement and return  

233 

 
 
 
 
 
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N
N
E
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1
4
4
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3
2
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9
0
-
Z
B

ISBN 978-92-9403-545-5