Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2039

Incident date

March 29, 2017

Location

دير الشرقي, Deir al Sharqi, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.603718, 36.738955 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Nine named civilians, including up to five children and one woman, were killed and between 15 and 20 others were wounded in alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrikes against the village of Deir al Sharqi. Sources that reported low casualty estimates, including the five deaths by Syrian News Network, acknowledged that these were the initial death tolls and many civilians were in a critical condition or still buried in the rubble, meaning the death toll was expected to rise.

A consensus emerged among local sources, with only one dissent, that Russian planes were responsible for the airstrikes against Deir al Sharqi. The majority of sources, including Baladi News and the Syrian Network for Human Rights, attributed the airstrikes to Russia. However, Elkhabar News reported that both Russian and Syrian planes struck the tomb of the caliph and did not ditinguish which was responsible for the casualties.

According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, some of the citizens that were struck were gathered for a funeral and burial ceremony.

In addition, Syrian Press Center said that the airstrikes also struck a bread distribution center in a popular market. Those killed were both citizens of the village and displaced persons that had fled violence to settle in Deir al Sharqi. The airstrikes destroyed both the tomb of Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz and multiple civilian properties.

Local sources, including Elkhabar, reported that at this time, most areas of the Idlib province were under control of opposition factions and had experienced increasing escalation by the Syrian government forces. Following the airstrikes, civil defense teams removed the dead and injured from the debris and injured civilians were transported for medical treatment in neighboring towns.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

14 years old From Deir al Sharqi killed
8 years old From Deir al Sharqi killed
7 years old From Deir al Sharqi killed
75 years old From Souran killed
10 years old From Souran killed
18 years old From Souran killed
4 years old From Souran killed
70 years old From Souran killed
Age unknown From Souran killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (3–5 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–20
  • 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 (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Video of the damage caused by the airstrikes on Deir al Sharqi on March 29th, 2017 (via Step News Youtube)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children killed in airstrikes against Deir al Sharqi on March 29th, 2017 (via @MousaAlomar)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of those killed in airstrikes against Deir al Sharqi on March 29th, 2017 (via Local Council in Deir al Sharqi Facebook)
  • Unexploded munitions from alleged Russian airstrikes on Deir al Sharqi on March 29, 2017 (via SOHR)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (3–5 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–20
  • 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 (25) [ collapse]