2011 Syrian Civil War

82 mm M69 mortar in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Division 13 fighters from the Syrian armed opposition were documented operating a Serbian M69A 82 mm mortar near Ayn Daqnah, north of Aleppo, in February 2016.

Weapon profile82 mm M69 mortar
SideOpposition and anti-government forcesRoleFire SupportInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
82 mm M69 mortar, 82 mm smoothbore infantry mortar, Artillery - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: Mortar 82 mm M-69 Croatian Army

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
A Serbian M69A 82 mm mortar was documented in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

The documented operators were Division 13 fighters from the Syrian armed opposition.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

The documented location was near Ayn Daqnah, north of Aleppo.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

The video title claimed the fighters were targeting Kurdish PKK positions, but the source does not independently confirm strike effects.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

The open record does not establish the transfer route, total quantity, or whether the same unit retained the mortar after the February 2016 documentation.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

Timeline

82 mm M69 mortar In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Video documents Division 13 operating an M69A near Aleppo

    ARES reported that a YouTube video uploaded on this date appeared to show Division 13 fighters operating a Serbian M69A 82 mm mortar near Ayn Daqnah, north of Aleppo.

    Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

  2. ARES publishes the M69A identification

    Armament Research Services published its identification of the Serbian M69A mortar in Syrian opposition use and described M69A technical context.

    Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Armament Research Services documented a Serbian M69A 82 mm mortar in the 2011 Syrian Civil War from a video uploaded on 26 February 2016. ARES identified the operators as fighters from Division 13, a Syrian armed opposition group, and placed the mortar near Ayn Daqnah, north of Aleppo.

The same ARES note reported that the video title claimed the Division 13 fighters were targeting Kurdish PKK positions. For the catalog record, the directly supported claim is the M69A mortar's operation by Syrian opposition fighters near Aleppo; the named target remains an attributed video-title claim rather than independently confirmed battle-damage reporting.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

Timeline

The documented public-use point is late February 2016. ARES published the identification on 28 February 2016, two days after the cited YouTube upload date, and tied the weapon, operator, and location to the same Aleppo-area video.

The available source does not establish a delivery chain, quantity in service, or a wider Syrian inventory. It identifies one Serbian-marked M69A mortar and describes its operation by Division 13 fighters.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

Role in the conflict

In this conflict entry, the M69A appears as an opposition-operated infantry mortar used for indirect fire support. ARES described the system as an 82 mm mortar designed by Serbia's Military Technical Institute and noted that the M69A is normally associated with an NSB-3 sight.

The role assignment is therefore limited to documented rebel use of a crew-served mortar near Aleppo. The source supports operation and claimed targeting context, but not a confirmed strike outcome, casualty figure, or sustained unit-level inventory.

Sources: ARES Serbian M69A Mortar Documented in Syria

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Sources