On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Al-Habouba Primary School in Al-Habouba Village, eastern Aleppo countryside, was subjected to an artillery and missile attack by the Syrian Democratic Forces, using mortars and rocket launchers. The attack resulted in damage to the school, directly impacting the educational process at the school as the new school year begins. The targeted area is under the control of the Syrian government.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented through reliable field sources, the Syrian Democratic Forces fired a number of shells and missiles at the town. The attack hit the school’s wall, partially destroying it.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering more evidence and information. Therefore, we hope that anyone with information or details related to this incident will provide it to us via our official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- The school is a purely civilian facility that may not be targeted.
- Targeting an educational school falls under the grave violations prohibiting attacks on “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.”
- The use of artillery and missile shelling to bombard a civilian facility without demonstrating the presence of a legitimate military target and without taking precautions to avoid or minimize damage may be classified as an indiscriminate or disproportionate attack.
- The Syrian Network for Human Rights did not find any urgent military necessity or immediate threat resulting from a military presence inside the school. Therefore, carrying out this shelling without “real military necessity” contravenes the principle of necessity under international humanitarian law.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Open an international investigation into the incident, under the supervision of impartial mechanisms, to uncover the circumstances of the bombing and determine criminal responsibility for violating the basic rules for the protection of civilian facilities.
- Include the attack in the reports of relevant international bodies, including the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and the International Independent Mechanism (IIIM), and document it as part of a pattern of repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure.
- Hold the Syrian Democratic Forces accountable, demand compensation for the material damage caused by the attack, and ensure that such violations are not repeated in the future.
- Support efforts to repair the damaged school, and provide urgent technical and financial support by United Nations organizations (such as UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme) to ensure the resumption of vital services.
- Strengthen the effective protection of civilian objects through international monitoring of contact points and sensitive facilities, and establish early warning and alert procedures for armed parties.
