Two tanker drivers, identified as Wesam Ali Wakiya and Ahmad Abdul Qader al-Ahmad, were shot dead on August 1, 2023, when they were caught in crossfire between Syrian regime forces and unidentified gunmen on the Ethrya road in the Syrian badiya (desert) between Raqqa and Salamiya. Wesam and Ahmad were engaged in transporting crude oil between areas controlled by the Syrian regime and others controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) when the gunmen attacked the tankers the two men were driving, and armed clashes ensued between the gunmen and Syrian regime forces.
The area is under the control of Syrian regime forces. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has not yet been able to identify which of the two parties were responsible for the killing of the two civilians. SNHR condemns what happened and holds Syrian regime forces responsible for holding the perpetrators to account.
Photo of Wesam Ali Wakiya
Photo of Ahmad Abdul Qader al-Ahmad
