Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1658

Incident date

November 21, 2016

Location

ابو الظهور, Abu Al Zuhur, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.738034, 37.047858 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians were killed – including one child – and several others injured in airstrikes which struck a market place in Abu Al Zuhur – though sources were conflicted as to who was responsible, with some reports blaming Russian warplanes and others blaming the Syrian regime for the raid.

Sdu Syria reported that rocket propelled grenades were used in the bombing of the market place. According to other sources not only shops but civilian homes were destroyed.

Despite multiple sources reporting on the death of Abdo Walid al-Aboud – aged 12 – Aboualzaor reported that he was wounded whilst also documenting an unidentified death. They also reported that three other civilians were wounded including one child and two women. 

Zaitonmag reported there were “several civilian casualties” in this specific incident, as did @hamade_12, who documented the deaths of four.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdo Walid al-Aboud
12 years old male killed
Abdo Khalid Aboud
Age unknown male injured
Unknown female from the house of Juma'a al-Junaid
Age unknown female injured
Unknown female from the house of Juma'a al-Junaid
Age unknown female injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Abu Al Zuhur (ابو الظهور), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.738034, 37.047858. 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
    1 – 4
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

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
    1 – 4
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]