On March 19, 2023, Syrian regime artillery forces fired multiple shells at Kafr Ta’aal village in the western suburbs of Aleppo governorate. One of the shells hit the Omar bin al-Khattab Mosque, partially destroying the mosque building and causing moderate damages to the furniture.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights can confirm that the mosque is located in a residential neighborhood with no military objects in the surrounding area. It should also be noted that the mosque was targeted by the same forces on January 12, 2023.
Through this attack, the Syrian regime has once again categorically violated UN Security Council resolutions 2139 and 2254 which prohibit any further indiscriminate attacks, as well as violating the rules of international humanitarian law which stress the distinction between civilians and combatants.
Attacks of this nature spread terror and panic among civilians, leading them to flee their lands and homes in an attempt to reach safety, and forcibly displacing them, with the number of internally displaced persons within Syria currently standing at approximately 6.5 million Syrian citizens in total.
The international community should put pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to force them to compensate the displaced victims, rehabilitate homes and vital centers, support the political transition process, and press all parties to pursue the implementation of a political transition according to a strict timetable which must not exceed six months, thus enabling millions of refugees and IDPs to return home.
Photo of the mosque following the bombardment.
