A Kurdish civilian was killed while attempting to transit from the city of Raqqa toward Al-Hasakah Governorate, in an incident that presents serious indications of the commission of grave violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including extrajudicial killing and mutilation of a corpse, within the context of a non-international armed conflict ongoing in Syria.
According to available information, the body of Mr. Masoud Rashid Mohammad, a Kurdish civilian from the village of Jala in the countryside of Afrin, was found bearing gunshot wounds and decapitation. The circumstances indicate that the victim was killed while attempting to flee from Raqqa toward Al-Hasakah several days prior to the discovery of the body.
According to statements provided by his relatives, the victim’s family was able to bury his body in their village on 29 January 2026. It was also reported that the victim is the son of Ms. Alifa. Responsibility for the incident, based on the information received, is attributed to armed elements affiliated with the Syrian Arab Army / the interim authority led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, as well as members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense forces, relying on corroborated local accounts.
This incident occurs within the context of a large-scale military campaign carried out by the aforementioned forces, targeting areas with a Kurdish majority. These operations have resulted in the killing, disappearance, and arrest of thousands of Kurdish civilians and fighters, alongside the documentation of other grave violations, amid an almost complete media blackout and the absence of independent and effective mechanisms for investigation and accountability.
