On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the Mezzeh district in western Damascus was subjected to an attack of unknown origin, resulting in varying degrees of material damage to both the Al-Muhammadi Mosque and a communications center. At the time of this report, the party responsible for the attack was unknown. The area is under the control of the Syrian government.
According to documentation by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, several rockets were fired indiscriminately towards the Mezzeh district. One of them struck the dome of the Al-Muhammadi Mosque, causing damage to the dome and partial material damage inside the mosque. A second rocket struck a communications center in the area, causing partial damage to the building. A third rocket landed in the vicinity of Mezzeh Airport, without causing any casualties.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering further evidence and information. Therefore, we urge anyone with information or details related to this incident to provide them to us via the network’s official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- Both the Al-Muhammadi Mosque and the communications center are purely civilian facilities and fall under the category of civilian objects whose targeting is prohibited under the rules of international humanitarian law.
- Targeting a mosque used for religious rites, along with a communications center, constitutes a violation of the principle of protecting civilian objects and may amount to a prohibited attack on objects essential to the life of the civilian population, unless a legitimate military objective is established.
- The use of rocket-propelled grenades to bombard a populated area and civilian facilities, without distinguishing between military and civilian targets and without taking the necessary precautions to avoid or minimize harm, may be classified as an indiscriminate or disproportionate attack, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights recommends:
- Launching a professional, transparent, and immediate investigation to identify the perpetrators and the party responsible for the bombing, collecting relevant evidence, and ensuring accountability for those responsible, in accordance with international criminal justice standards and the principle of no impunity.
- Emphasizing the need to strengthen the protection of civilian objects and areas by respecting the principle of due process, avoiding the use of weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, and taking effective measures to reduce risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure.
