Drones launched by regime forces continue to target populated opposition areas in northwestern Syria, causing significant damage to farmland and real estate.

During the first four months of this year, Syria Civil Defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, responded to 41 suicide drone attacks on populated sites in opposition areas. These attacks resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injured 18 others, including women and children, Hassan Al-Hassan, an official in the White Helmets in Idlib told The Syria Report. On average, about six suicide drones are involved in each attack launched from regime-controlled areas. In March there were 17 suicide drone attacks, and in April, 13 attacks.

The attacks targeted 21 villages, home to approximately 70,000 people, including around 22,000 displaced persons. The attacks focused on areas 9 kilometres away from the front lines between opposition and regime forces, within opposition territories. The most affected areas were the Al-Ghab Plain in the Hama countryside, where drones launched 20 attacks on the villages of Al-Zaqqum, Al-Hamidiya, Al-Mansoura, Qarqur, Qastun, Tal Wasit, Qulaydin, Khirbet Al-Naqus, Al-Qahira, Al-Mshik, and Al-Ziyara. In addition, the Idlib countryside suffered 13 attacks on the villages of Binnin, Sarja, Shanan, Kansafra, Sufuhon, Freika, Sheikh Sandian, Deir Sunbul, and Maarblit, and the western Aleppo countryside saw 8 attacks on the towns of Al-Abzimo, Kafr Nouran, and Darat Izza.

Of these attacks, 8 targeted agricultural fields, 13 targeted homes and residences, and 3 struck markets and shops. Meanwhile, 17 attacks on roads targeted motorcycles and moving vehicles.

Video footage released by the Syrian Arab Army clearly shows suicide drones targeting civilian cars and property, claiming they are military vehicles or sites belonging to opposition factions. However, a comparison of these images with the targeted sites and vehicles on the ground reveals that the vast majority are civilians.

In a recent initiative to mitigate the risk posed by suicide drones, traders and businessmen have announced a financial reward of USD 50 for anyone who can shoot one down. Hunting weapons that use buckshot have proven quite effective in bringing down drones. Consequently, civilians and hunters have joined forces to combat the drones, setting up collective ambushes inside homes, alleyways, and roads to create simultaneous rings of fire targeting the drones. According to statistics published by the Syria Response Coordinators on July 15, 94 suicide drones have been shot down this way, out of the 512 drones used in the 41 attacks.

The suicide drones used by regime forces in their attacks are the same as those employed for commercial purposes and aerial photography, known as first-person view (FPV) drones. This means the operator can see what the drone sees in real time. These drones are remotely controlled and can be loaded with various types of munitions weighing between 1.5 and 2.5 kilograms. They can fly at an altitude of 35 metres for up to 13 minutes, with speeds ranging from 150 to 175 kilometres per hour, and a range of 9 kilometres, which explains why their attacks are limited to areas close to the front lines.

These drones are manufactured in China and are assembled at the Hama’s Scientific Research Centres affiliated with regime forces, where they are loaded with explosives using rubber belts. They are operated by teams from the Fifth Corps, the Republican Guard, and the 25th Special Mission Division, who have been trained by Russian experts.

According to The Syria Report’s correspondent in the area, regime forces typically carry out these drone attacks between early morning and just before noon, resulting in a curfew in the targeted areas, disrupting daily life. No night-time attacks using these drones have been recorded.

This type of drone has a major weakness that limits its usability: if the signal is lost for more than 5 seconds due to natural obstacles, the drone will crash.

To date, regime forces have used civilian properties in opposition areas as a testing ground for training with these drones. No clear military targets have been recorded as being hit so far. Thus, it seems that using these drones in populated civilian areas is merely a way to test their accuracy and effectiveness, as well as to test opposition defences. The damage varies depending on the type of munitions used. For example, when vacuum bombs are used, the damage at the target site is extensive, causing parts of buildings to collapse. Anti-personnel munitions have less impact on buildings, while anti-tank munitions are designed to cause maximum damage to vehicles.

These drones do not necessarily have pre-determined targets; instead, targets are selected during the flight, according to The Syria Report’s correspondent in the area. The danger of these drones increases depending on the nature of the targets they attack. Often, they execute precise double attacks, focusing on a single house, while other reconnaissance drones monitor the targeted site, making it easier to hit ambulances and rescue vehicles.