(Previous Incident Codes: R2428RS2580)

Between ten and 18 civilians were killed, including at least one woman, during aerial shelling of al-Bouleil, Deir Ezzor, local sources reported, though it was unclear whether Russia or the Syrian regime was to blame.

Many sources reported simultaneously about airstrikes in both the towns of al-Bouleil and Toub that day, reporting a total of 22 to 25 casualties, including a family of seven, as noted by @abdulrahmanhaaj.

Regarding the specific figures from al-Bouleil, reports spanned from ten to as many as 18 civilian deaths, the higher death toll reported by @WmCWofaEmTYeTGr.

Several sources said that ten men were included in the fatalities and that these victims had been detained due to military service by ISIS. According to Euphrates Post, for example, “more than ten young men had been detained lately by ISIS for the purpose of forced conscription. They were killed in a raid on the house in which ISIS was detaining them.”

Five of the victims were identified by name, including a 23-years-old woman. Two of the victims died days after the incident from the wounds they had sustained. 

@WmCWofaEmTYeTGr added that 75 houses were “completely destroyed” following the strikes. Meanwhile, Euphrates Post reported the use of cluster bombs.

While the large majority of the sources identified Russia as the responsible, the incident remains contested as Insaan Rights Watch, Baladi News and DeirEzzor24 questioned the culprit, reporting that the incident was carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime. Moreover, DeirEzzor24 added that the Syrian regime and Russia in recent days had intensified the aerial shelling of several areas in Deir Ezzor.

Finally, it should be mentioned that one source, DeirEzzor24, reported on October 2nd that the strikes took place “this morning”. However, all the remaining sources said that about the strikes on October 1st.