Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1721

Incident date

November 29, 2016

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.44208, 36.65095 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians from one family – a man, his wife and his son – died and two other children from the family were wounded in an airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun, according to soirces on the ground.

Egypt Today: “On Monday, at least eight raids were carried out on areas in the town of Khan Sheikhan in the southern Idlib countryside, killing a man and his wife and wounding other children”.

Ammar khattab posted on Facebook that hi\s brother “Yamin and his wife Ola Alaa Al-Rajab and his son Ahmad” had died and that “his sons Nur al-Din and Zina” were wounded.

Samrabohazem published graphic photos of the deceased children.

While most sources blamed Russia, Rozana FM reported that the regime had also carried out strikes “on several areas of the town of Idlib, including the neighborhoods of Khan Sheikun”.

The incident occured at approximately 12:00 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Yamin
Adult male killed
Ola Alaa Al-Rajab
Adult female Wife of Yamin killed
Ahmad
Child male Son of Yamin killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Khan Sheikhoun (خان شيخون), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.44208, 36.65095. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Translation: 'The warplanes targeted the towns of Khan_shikhun, Ma'ara Horma and Ma'arrah al-Nu'man in the countryside of Idlib, resulting in 10 civilians being killed and others injured. Tuesday, November 29.'
  • Yamin, killed alongside his wife and child in an airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun, Nov 29th 2016 (via Ammar khattab on Facebook)
  • Another image of Yamin, published by his brother Ammar khattab on Facebook.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The body of a child, killed in a strike on Khan Sheikhoun, Nov 29th 2016 (via Samrabohazem)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another child , wounded in the Nov 29th Khan Sheikhoun strike (via Samrabohazem)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another child , killed or wounded in the Nov 29th Khan Sheikhoun strike (via Samrabohazem)

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
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]