Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS760

Incident date

April 23, 2016

Location

حي طريق الباب, Tareeq al-Bab (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.207438, 37.1990204 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Airstrikes on the Tareeq al-Bab neighborhood of Aleppo killed between 10 and 17 civilians and injured at least 20 more, according to local sources. Reports did not definitively identify the warplanes responsible, with some referring to Russia and the regime, while others attributed the incident solely to the regime.

The White Helmets said two raids targeted civilian areas, leading to the death “of more than 12 people including women and children and dozens were injured” – though did not say who carried them out. Shaam News Network posted a video showing destruction caused by “Syrian and Russian aviation raids on neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo“. It said that activists had confirmed the occurrence of “a massacre in Ahalouanah roundabout in the neighborhood of Tareeq al bab“. They put the death toll at 13.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the regime, initially putting the death toll at nine, but later at 10 including two children – with 12 others wounded. In a tweet, Aba-z72 also blames the regime for the “new massacre”. Likewise,  Aranews held regime military airplanes responsible for the raids. It puts the death toll at 12 and reported that “more than two dozens others” were wounded.  A witness told SN4HR: “The bombing happened around 11:00 am. There were two warplanes. One of them targeted the main road of Tareeq Al Bab Neirborhood and the other targeted the residential Bourj Al Bakhera area. There were less than ten minutes between the two missiles. I arrived at the site when the Rescue and civil defense teams were picking the corpses out of the rubble. They were able to withdraw 15 people from the rubble of the ruins of the upper floors, while about 12 dead persons were.still under the rubble The destruction was very huge as it extended to five houses, a food warehouse, a pharmacy, a secondhand tools center, and a store seling diesel fuel. In addition a Suzuki pickup truck and a motorcycle were destroyed. The targeted place is a civilian neighborhood, where there are no headquarters for army or any Islamic organizations and the victims were all civilians.

Fifteen images showing destruction of the area were published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who referred only to “warplanes” causing 17 deaths in Tareeq al-Bab. According to the White Helmets, “warplanes” targeted a popular market, killing 12 people and injuring 20 more. Shahed Ayan News reported the same number of people killed, and spoke of “dozens wounded”. In a video by Baha’a Al-Halabi it was said that the warplanes targeted the local market Al-Bab, leading to 9 people so far. It reported that “some of the deads were burned to death. The civil defense forces have rescued children of various ages, the youngest are months old.”

The Violations Documentation Center named six victims as killed in “warplane shelling” – blaming the regime and allied forces.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child male killed
27 years old male killed
26 years old male killed
30 years old male killed
23 years old male killed
21 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 17
  • (2 children6 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Destruction in Tarreq al-Bab following airstrikes on April 23rd (via SO4HR)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Zakaria abd al-Salam, child victim of the raids in Tareeq al bab neighbourhood, Aleppo (via Aba-z72 tweet)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rescuing team searching for survivors from under the rubbles in Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via Aleppo White Helmets)
  • Aftermath of the airstrikes in Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via Aleppo White Helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim getting rescued out of a targeted building in Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via Aleppo White Helmets)
  • Aftermath of the strikes in Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via Aleppo White Helmets)
  • SNN video titled "the planes of death and hatred continues its duty in Aleppo… dozens of dead and wounded."
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Aftermath of the strikes targeting Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via SOHR)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rescuing team in the aftermath of the strikes targeting Tareeq al bab neighbourhood (via SOHR)
  • Aleppo White Helmets video titled "Tareeq al bab massacre 23/4/2016"
  • Aleppo Media Centre video titled "More than 12 martyrs in Treeq al bab in a new massacre by the regime’s planes in Aleppo 23/4/2016"

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Unknown

The Kremlin has issued no public accounts of airstrikes in Syria from April 1st – 30th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 17
  • (2 children6 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (19) [ collapse]