ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Over 180 children and nearly 100 women were killed across Syria during the first six months of 2026, a human rights watchdog said on Saturday, underscoring the continued toll of violence in the country.

“From the beginning of 2026 until the end of June, the Observatory documented the killing of 92 women and 184 children, bringing the total number of women and children killed in six months to 276,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said in a report.

The monitor said that “children constituted nearly two-thirds of the victims in these two categories, almost double the number of women.”

Breaking down the figures by month, SOHR said the number of victims “remained high throughout the six months, without any sustained decline.”

However, it noted that January saw the “highest number of women killed” at 33.

Syria has continued to experience widespread violence since former Islamist rebel leader and current interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power. Government forces and allied factions have carried out military campaigns against several minority communities, while bombings, shootings, and local armed clashes have remained frequent.

The latest major government offensive targeted northeastern Syria in January, then under the control of Kurdish-led forces. During the fighting, numerous violations against Kurdish fighters, including women, and civilians were attributed to forces affiliated with Damascus.

Beyond government operations, Syria has also witnessed repeated deadly explosions and shootings.

An explosion in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus on Tuesday killed at least 11 people, adding to a long list of deadly incidents the country has seen since the turn of the year.

In addition to extremist groups carrying out sporadic hit-and-run operations, tribal and clan clashes account for many incidents.

SOHR has previously accused Damascus forces of extrajudicial executions against minorities in its campaigns. The government has clashed with Syria’s Alawite and Druze minorities, in addition to the Kurds.

The data highlights “the need for more effective measures to reduce casualties, hold perpetrators of violations accountable, and strengthen mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable from the repercussions of the ongoing violence,” the watchdog said.