2011 Syrian Civil War

BM-21 Grad in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Syrian government forces used BM-21 Grad-family 122 mm multiple rocket launchers during the Syrian Civil War, with documented attacks including December 2012 and January 2013 cluster-munition rocket incidents and later Grad-series incendiary rocket use in northwest Syria.

Weapon profileBM-21 Grad
SideSyrian government and alliesRoleFire SupportArea Denial
BM-21 Grad, 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: Rocket launcher BM-21 "Grad" on Ural-375D chassis.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Syrian government forces used BM-21 Grad launchers to deliver 122 mm cluster munition rockets near Idlib in December 2012 and at Latamneh on January 3, 2013.

Sources: HRW Syria Cluster Munition Rockets

The BM-21 Grad was the common 122 mm multiple-launch rocket system identified in Syrian government deployment.

Sources: AOAV Syria Grad Profile, AOAV Wide of the Mark

Syrian government Grad rocket use was reported as escalating in December 2012.

Sources: AOAV Wide of the Mark

Ground-fired Grad-series incendiary rockets were documented in northwest Syria in October 2023.

Sources: HRW Northwest Syria Cluster Munitions

Timeline

BM-21 Grad In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Yalda multiple-launch rocket attack reported

    AOAV reported that rockets were fired from multiple launchers at an apartment block in Yalda, while noting that the exact multiple-launch rocket system was not reported for that incident.

    Sources: AOAV Wide of the Mark

  2. Grad rocket use described as escalating

    AOAV's wide-area weapons report said increasing Grad rocket use by Syrian government forces was reported in December 2012 as a distinct escalation in the conflict.

    Sources: AOAV Wide of the Mark

  3. HRW identifies BM-21-delivered cluster munition rockets

    Human Rights Watch found evidence that Syrian forces used BM-21 Grad launchers to deliver 122 mm cluster munition rockets near Idlib in December 2012 and at Latamneh on January 3, 2013.

    Sources: HRW Syria Cluster Munition Rockets

  4. AOAV publishes Syria Grad profile

    Action on Armed Violence profiled the Grad as one of the major explosive weapons used in Syria and described the BM-21 Grad as the common 122 mm multiple-launch rocket system in Syrian government deployment.

    Sources: AOAV Syria Grad Profile

  5. Grad-series incendiary rockets documented in northwest Syria

    Human Rights Watch reported evidence of ground-fired Grad-series incendiary rockets during October 2023 attacks in opposition-held northwest Syria, including Darat Izzah and nearby towns and villages.

    Sources: HRW Northwest Syria Cluster Munitions

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Human Rights Watch documented Syrian government BM-21 Grad use in the Syrian Civil War by identifying BM-21 multi-barrel rocket launchers as the delivery system for 122 mm cluster munition rockets used near Idlib in December 2012 and at Latamneh, northwest of Hama, on January 3, 2013. HRW based the finding on witness interviews, video analysis, and photographs of munition evidence.

Action on Armed Violence separately profiled the Grad in Syria in September 2013, describing it as a 40-round unguided multiple rocket launcher and identifying the 122 mm BM-21 Grad as the most common multiple-launch rocket system known to be in Syrian government deployment. AOAV's wider-area weapons report also linked Syrian government Grad rocket use to the escalation of area bombardment in late 2012.

Sources: HRW Syria Cluster Munition Rockets, AOAV Syria Grad Profile, AOAV Wide of the Mark

Timeline

The cited public record first becomes specific in mid-2012 and late 2012. AOAV reported that a July 26, 2012 rocket salvo was reportedly fired from multiple launchers at an apartment block in Yalda, while noting that the precise launcher type was not reported for that incident. By December 2012, AOAV described increasing Grad rocket use by Syrian government forces as a distinct escalation.

HRW's January 2013 investigation gave the clearest BM-21-specific attribution, finding evidence that Syrian forces used BM-21 Grad launchers to deliver 122 mm cluster munition rockets in attacks near Idlib in December 2012 and at Latamneh on January 3, 2013. In 2023, HRW again documented Grad-series rockets in northwest Syria, identifying ground-fired Grad-series incendiary rockets in attacks around Darat Izzah, al-Atarib, Jisr-al-Shughur, and al-Abzimo.

Sources: AOAV Wide of the Mark, HRW Syria Cluster Munition Rockets, HRW Northwest Syria Cluster Munitions

Battlefield role

In Syrian government service, the BM-21 Grad was documented as truck-mounted area rocket artillery. The system fired unguided 122 mm rockets in salvos, making it relevant to government bombardment of towns, cities, and opposition-held areas rather than to precision strike. HRW's documented 2012-2013 incidents involved 122 mm cluster munition rockets, while its 2023 northwest Syria reporting identified Grad-series incendiary rockets from remnants and distinctive effects.

The sources support Syrian government and allied-side use, with specific incidents around Idlib, Latamneh, and later opposition-held northwest Syria. They do not provide a complete inventory of Syrian BM-21 launchers, a comprehensive firing log, or a public count of rockets fired across the war.

Sources: HRW Syria Cluster Munition Rockets, HRW Northwest Syria Cluster Munitions, AOAV Syria Grad Profile

Videos

BM-21 Grad In 2011 Syrian Civil War

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Sources