A/HRC/43/57 32. Armed groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham,15 escalated attacks on governmentcontrolled areas causing scores of civilian casualties. 16 On 21 November, armed groups launched a rocket attack on several neighbourhoods in Aleppo, including Salah al-Din that killed 7 civilians and injured 29 others. 33. Alongside attacks by warring parties, the civilian population in restive areas across Idlib Governorate continued to suffer as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham terrorists attempted to tighten their grip. In an effort to subjugate populations, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham increasingly took over activities aimed at regulating access to services during the reporting period. The presence of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham impacted residents’ access to health and education, and also resulted in the withdrawal of humanitarian actors. In Kafr Takharim, where approximately 40,000 people lived, attempts by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to consolidate power resulted in an increase in the prices of basic commodities, such as bread and fuel. When Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham imposed a “tax” on olive oil production in the town, protests erupted and progressively spread to other areas that historically had a strong civil society presence, including Saraqib, Salqin, Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘man, and Atarib. 34. In response, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham fighters launched a rocket attack on Kafr Takharim and in the morning of 7 November they shot at fighters and civilians while entering the town. Some 30 men dressed in military clothing with covered faces stormed a threestorey building where approximately 100 civilians were hiding in the basement, resulting in the death of at least 3 individuals and injuring 10 others, including a 16-year-old boy. Members of the group also prevented injured civilians from leaving and shot at an ambulance transporting the wounded. 35. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham terrorists continued to recruit and use children to participate in hostilities,17 targeting primarily young boys who had missed years of schooling as guards or checkpoint personnel in Idlib Governorate. Owing to existing gender norms, boys have also been expected to take on the role of breadwinner, especially within female-headed households, and have subsequently joined Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to ensure income for their families. A 16-year-old boy in Sarmada joined the terrorist group and participated in hostilities in order to support his siblings after the death of his father. One interviewee described how children underwent religious and military training prior to participating in hostilities. 36. Following an air strike conducted by international coalition forces on 31 August targeting one Al-Qaida facility located north of Idlib,18 young males were observed among the victims, including boys aged between 12 and 13, who were dressed in military clothing. The children were reportedly being recruited and subjected to religious training by members of Ansar al-Tawhid. 37. Individuals expressing dissent or openly criticizing the presence of Hay’at Tahrir alSham, such as activists and media workers, continued to be subjected to persecution. At least six activists were detained between August and September, including one photographer who filmed members of the terrorist group and later released a video reportedly exposing corruption. 38. During the period under review, journalists reported that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham maintained a list of names and pictures of activists on the basis of which the group detained individuals who had expressed dissent or disagreement. When civilians gathered to protest against Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Bab al-Hawa in November, members of the group took photographs of demonstrators to identify them later at checkpoints. In another case, one activist reported receiving a written warning asking him to report to a “security office” linked to the Ouqab prison run by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib. The warning did not state the 15 16 17 18 8 Protection concerns prevent the Commission from disclosing certain information in this paragraph, such as place names, that could potentially be used to identify individual sources. In all cases, the Commission remained guided by the “do no harm” principle. See S/2019/922 and S/2019/987. See Henckaerts and Doswald-Beck, Customary International Humanitarian Law, rule 137. See www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/STATEMENTS/Statements-View/Article/1949406/statement-fromus-central-command-on-us-forces-strike-against-al-qaida-in-syria.