Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1543

Incident date

November 8, 2016

Location

معرة مصرين , Maarat Misrin, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.012172, 36.6730499 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One woman died and several other civilians were wounded in an airstrike on Maarat Misrin, according to sources on the ground – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible.

Most sources attributed the civilian harm to Russia.

However, Zamanalwasl was one of several sources that pointed to the regime, reporting that “in Maarat Misrin, one woman was killed and others injured by cluster bombs that had already been dropped by the regime’s planes”.

According to the Shaam News Network, “Assad and Russian warplanes launched more than 24 air strike in the cities and towns of the province today [Nov 8th[, including more than 13 raids with cluster bombs, and two raids using phosphorus incendiary and napalm bombs, which are internationally forbidden. This resulted in a martyr in Maarrat Misrin”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Maarat Misrin (معرة مصرين), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.012172, 36.6730499. 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
  • (1 woman)
  • 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 (18) [ 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 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
  • (1 woman)
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]