Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1716

Incident date

November 28, 2016

Location

الغنطو , Al Ghinto, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.82179, 36.69605 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what was widely reported as a regime attack, at least four civilians – including a child and three women – died and as many as dozens more (including children) were wounded in a shelling at Al Ghinto in Homs. While most of the allegations were against Assad rockets, there was also a report that Russia had conducted an airstrike.

Mouatasem Homs published several graphic videos of the aftermath of the attack, including footage of wounded civilians following the “amputation of limbs”.

Spm Syria, who blamed the regime, reported: “An ambulance worker at Ghantu Hospital, Mohamed Nour Abu Fawaz, assured the Syrian People’s Movement that the martyrs were women and children, and that the wounded were in serious condition which required medical materials that the hospital lacked.”

According to Syria Press Center, “On Monday [Nov 28th], the forces of the regime bombed  the town of al-Ghantu with rocket launchers as part of the continued shelling of the liberated areas by the regime forces. The shelling targeted residential areas, killing four civilians and wounding many more”.

In one report, LCCSY blamed the regime’s “rocket launchers and incendiary napalm bombs” for the death of four non-combatants and injury of “dozens” more.

However, in a subsequent report, LCCSY also pointed to Russian involvement, stating “12  killed from #Homs, most of them passed away in the Russian airstrikes on #Holeh and #Ghantou.”

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (1 child3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic footage showing the aftermath of "shelling by rocket launchers on the town of Al Ghantu 28/11/2016" (via Mouatasem Homs)
  • The aftermath of a strike "with rocket launchers 28/11/2016" on Al Ghantu. (via Mouatasem Homs)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Distressing footage showing wounded children following a strike o Al Ghantu, Nov 28th 2016 (via Mouatasem Homs)
  • Rawaa, daughter of Shahid Salah, killed in an alleged strike on Al Ghantu, Nov 28th 2016 (via Malk Rsoo)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (1 child3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]