Eight civilians, including three women and three children, were injured in a bombardment by regime forces targeting al-Ghab Plain in the northern countryside of Hama.

The Syria Civil Defence (White Helmets) reported on Tuesday, August 6, that regime forces targeted a tricycle motorcycle with a guided missile, injuring three children, three women, and a man, most of whom were from the same family and were near the motorcycle.

On Tuesday, the regime forces increased the use of suicide drones, attacking the villages of Deqmaq, al-Hamidiya, Qastoun, and Tal Wasit in al-Ghab Plain with 14 drones, injuring a civilian and damaging eight cars owned by civilians.

Since the beginning of 2024 until the end of last July, Civil Defence teams have responded to 17 attacks with guided missiles from regime forces, killing six civilians, including four children, and injuring 22 civilians, including seven children and three women.

In a statement, the Civil Defence explained that these attacks “threaten the lives of civilians, destroy their property, undermine their livelihoods, hinder their movements, and impact their ability to work on their agricultural lands, harvest their crops, and secure their daily sustenance.”

Suicide drone attacks have been recurring in northern Syria over the past months.

Drone attacks are concentrated in areas near the frontlines in the countryside of Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib (the frontlines between opposition-controlled and regime-controlled areas).

The frequency of drone attacks is increasing, reaching greater distances, with documented attacks up to nine kilometers from the frontlines, according to a statement from the Civil Defence issued on July 8.

On July 31, 11 suicide drones attacked villages in al-Ghab Plain and southern Idlib, causing casualties among civilians.

The most severe attacks last month occurred on July 21, when 21 drones carried out scattered attacks on the Idlib countryside.

Attempts to counter drones

Recently, activists have circulated videos of civilians targeting drones before they explode using hunting rifles (shotguns). They claimed that this method was sometimes effective and prevented the drones from reaching their targets.

However, these drones are sometimes congregated (2, 3 or 4 drones in one place), and there is no way to detect them except by hearing their sound or seeing them.

Hassan al-Hassan, an official in the Syria Civil Defence, confirmed in a previous conversation with Enab Baladi that the only way to reduce the impact of drones is accountability, and only accountability can limit the impact of drones.

Al-Hassan said that the absence of justice and accountability over the past years and the continuous impunity allowed the Syrian regime to develop its weapons and killing tools.

He explained that “civilians cannot face the killing tools, and the suicide drones are a dangerous method of attacks.”

Sometimes taking shelter is futile, as Civil Defence teams have documented drone attacks that chased victims inside their rooms.