The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “surface-to-surface missiles fired by Russian warships and regime military barracks on an oil market and oil refineries.”
The target was an oil market and artisanal oil refineries near Jarabulus, an area under the control of Turkish-backed Syrian militia groups, according to the Observatory.
A member of the Syrian Civil Defence, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets operating in rebel-held areas, was among the dead. Ahmad al-Waki was killed when a fuel tank exploded.
“Dozens of tanks turned into balls of [flame],” the White Helmets tweeted. Tens of their volunteers were battling the blaze.
In both northeast and northwest Syria, in areas under Kurdish and rebel control, there is an increased reliance on makeshift oil refineries after a decade of civil conflict. The refineries filled a need for fuel and became an income source for locals.
“Armed groups also capitalized on these practices for income generation and smuggling networks to finance their war machines, making these refineries a common business in Syria,” wrote environment and conflict expert Wim Zwijnenburg in an investigation last year for Bellingcat.
At least 10 clusters of the refineries were bombed by Syrian regime and Russian jets between 2015 and 2019, according to the report.
