5.5. Civilian fatalities

Between December 2024 and May 2025, SNHR documented 2 854 civilian fatalities. The highest numbers were recorded in December 2024 (503) and March 2025 (1 562) while April (174) and May 2025 (157) had the lowest number of documented civilian fatalities. Most civilian fatalities occurred in the governorates of Latakia (631), Aleppo (444), Tartous (363), and Hama (336). Most of the fatalities documented in Latakia, Tartous and Hama occurred in March 2025, whereas Aleppo and Idlib governorates registered the highest number of civilian fatalities in December 2024. The lowest number of civilian fatalities over the reference period was documented in the governorates of Hasaka (9), Damascus (6) and Quneitra (2).838

With the exception of the months of December 2024 and March 2025, the highest number of civilian fatalities recorded by SNHR during the period between December 2024 and May 2025 was attributed to attacks by unidentified actors, landmines and UXOs.839 In December 2024, in the context of the armed offensive against the Assad government and the fighting between SDF and the Turkish-backed SNA, the forces of the Assad government (223 civilian fatalities out of a total of 503) and the SDF (108 civilian fatalities out of a total of 503) were responsible for the highest number of civilian fatalities recorded by SNHR.840 In March 2025, the civilian fatalities resulted from the violence in the coastal areas were mainly attributed to the forces of the interim government and affiliated armed groups (899 civilian fatalities out of a total of 1 562) and pro-Assad militias (446 civilian fatalities out of a total of 1 562).841

Further information on the security situation and civilian casualties is available in the governorate chapters.

5_5_figure5_snhr_dec24_may25_072025_coi_syria_country_focus

 Figure 5. Number of civilian fatalities recorded by SNHR (December 2024 – May 2025) 
 

5_5_figure6_snhr_dec24_may25_072025_coi_syria_country_focus

Figure 6. Number of civilian fatalities recorded by SNHR (December 2024 – May 2025). Breakdown by governorate.

During the reference period of this report (March – May 2025), SNHR documented 1 893 civilian fatalities. Most of them were recorded in the governorates of Latakia (594), Tartous (352), and Hama (187), and occurred primarily in the context of the violence in the coastal areas which took place in March. The lowest number of civilian fatalities was recorded in the governorates of Quneitra (1 civilian fatalities), Damascus (2 civilian fatalities) and Hasaka (2 civilian fatalities).842  Further information regarding the civilian fatalities recorded in each governorate is available in section 5.8 of the report. 
 

5_5_figure7_snhr_mar_may25_072025_coi_syria_country_focus

Figure 7. Number of civilian fatalities recorded by SNHR (March – May 2025). Breakdown by governorate.

For the same period, UCDP recorded 564 security events leading to 2 098 fatalities in Syria, out of which 1 362 were civilian fatalities. The largest number of civilian fatalities were recorded in Latakia (610), Tartous (171), Hama (137) and Homs (136) governorates. The lowest numbers of security events were recorded in Quneitra (3), Sweida (9), and Raqqa (10) governorates.843
 

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Figure 8: Number of civilian fatalities recorded by UCDP (March – May 2025). Breakdown by governorate.

  • 838

    EUAA analysis based on SNHR reports: SNHR, The Death of 157 Civilian Including 20 Children and 11 Women, and One Death due to Torture Recorded in May 2025, 1 June 2025, url, pp. 3-4; SNHR, The Death of 174 Civilian Including 23 Children and 13 Women, and 5 Deaths due to Torture Recorded in April 2025 in Syria, 2 May 2025, url, pp. 2-3; SNHR, 1,562 Deaths, Including 102 Children and 99 Women, as well as 33 Medical Personnel, Recorded in March 2025 in Syria, 9 April 2025, url, pp. 8-9; SNHR, 222 Civilian Deaths, Including 17 Children and 37 Women, as well as Nine Deaths due to Torture, Recorded in February 2025 in Syria, 1 March 2025, url, pp. 8-9; SNHR, 236 Civilian Deaths, Including 32 Children and 18 Women, as well as One Woman’s Death due to Torture, Documented in Syria in January 2025, 21 Civilians Were Killed by SDF, 1 February 2025, url, pp. 6-7; SNHR, 1,264 Civilian Deaths, Including 242 Children and 118 Women, as well as 86 Deaths due to Torture, Documented in Syria in 2024, 2 January 2025, url, pp. 8-9.

  • 839

    EUAA analysis based on SNHR reports: SNHR, The Death of 157 Civilian Including 20 Children and 11 Women, and One Death due to Torture Recorded in May 2025, 1 June 2025, url, p. 3; SNHR, The Death of 174 Civilian Including 23 Children and 13 Women, and 5 Deaths due to Torture Recorded in April 2025 in Syria, 2 May 2025, url, p. 3; SNHR, 1,562 Deaths, Including 102 Children and 99 Women, as well as 33 Medical Personnel, Recorded in March 2025 in Syria, 9 April 2025, url, p. 9; SNHR, 222 Civilian Deaths, Including 17 Children and 37 Women, as well as Nine Deaths due to Torture, Recorded in February 2025 in Syria, 1 March 2025, url, pp. 8-9; SNHR, 236 Civilian Deaths, Including 32 Children and 18 Women, as well as One Woman’s Death due to Torture, Documented in Syria in January 2025, 21 Civilians Were Killed by SDF, 1 February 2025, url, p. 7; SNHR, 1,264 Civilian Deaths, Including 242 Children and 118 Women, as well as 86 Deaths due to Torture, Documented in Syria in 2024, 2 January 2025, url, pp. 8-9.

  • 840

    SNHR, 1,264 Civilian Deaths, Including 242 Children and 118 Women, as well as 86 Deaths due to Torture, Documented in Syria in 2024, 2 January 2025, url, pp. 8-9

  • 841

    SNHR, The Death of 174 Civilian Including 23 Children and 13 Women, and 5 Deaths due to Torture Recorded in April 2025 in Syria, 2 May 2025, url, p. 3; SNHR, 1,562 Deaths, Including 102 Children and 99 Women, as well as 33 Medical Personnel, Recorded in March 2025 in Syria, 9 April 2025, url, p. 9

  • 842

    EUAA analysis based on SNHR reports: SNHR, The Death of 157 Civilian Including 20 Children and 11 Women, and One Death due to Torture Recorded in May 2025, 1 June 2025, url, pp. 3-4; SNHR, The Death of 174 Civilian Including 23 Children and 13 Women, and 5 Deaths due to Torture Recorded in April 2025 in Syria, 2 May 2025, url, pp. 2-3; SNHR, 1,562 Deaths, Including 102 Children and 99 Women, as well as 33 Medical Personnel, Recorded in March 2025 in Syria, 9 April 2025, url, pp. 8-9

  • 843

    EUAA analysis based on UCDP data. UCDP, data covering from 1 March to 31 May 2025 provided by courtesy of UCDP in an email, 12 June 2025.