A boy, identified as 14-year-old Slal al-Hlal from Rasm al-Jisi village to the east of Deir Hafer town in eastern rural Aleppo governorate, was shot dead by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) personnel near Deir Hafer town. The area is under the control of the SDF.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) from reliable local sources, Slal al-Hlal was riding a motorbike with another person, on their way to their workplace at a bakery. As the two passed near an SDF checkpoint, the personnel manning the checkpoint opened fire killing Slal al-Hlal immediately.
Following the incident, tensions escalated in the area, as the child’s family attacked the checkpoint. This prompted the personnel stationed there to open fire once again, although no injuries or casualties were recorded.
SNHR strongly condemns this killing, which constitutes a blatant violation of international human rights law, particularly the right to life, and falls within the category of extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary killings.
SNHR emphasizes the need for an immediate and independent investigation into the incident, for those responsible to be held accountable, for the victims to be compensated, and for guarantees to be put in place to prevent the recurrence of such violations in the future.
Slal al-Helal, a 14-year-old boy from Rasm al-Jisi village to the east of Deir Hafer town in eastern rural Aleppo