Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3654

Incident date

May 4, 2019

Location

الهبيط, Al Habit, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian or Syrian regime air and/or artillery strikes on the town of Al Habit, Idlib governorate, killed up to four civilians on May 4th, 2019, local media reported.

Multiple sources reported the shelling of civilian infrastructure. According to @AishaSapri, the health centre was struck, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported damage to three schools in the town: Khalid Al Mousa Secondary School, Khawla Primary School, and Al Qadisiya School. Additionally, several farms in the town were struck by what was described as “rocket attacks”.

Khan Sheikhoun reported on Facebook that Sobhia Mohammed Bashir Aburas and Abdel Qadir Fadl Aburas were killed in Syrian regime rocket attacks on farms in the area, in addition to a third unidentified man. The Syrian Network for Human Rights wrote that a woman and a child were killed.

Edlib Media Center reported that two people were killed and several were wounded, pointing to Russia as the belligerent. However, Khan Sheikhoun, along with many other sources, stated that the regime was responsible.

Baladi News wrote that “a man and his wife were killed and their three children were hit by a missile bombardment by the regime forces, who targeted the farms of the town of Habit, south of Idlib, at dawn today.”

@SyrianHNC reported that three people from a displaced family from Srihin, Hama, died. According to the White Helmets, “two women and four children from a single family were rescued from the rubble of their demolished house as a result of the targeting of civilian houses in the town of Habit in rural Idlib, with six explosive drums and two warplanes.”

According to Syrian Mosaic, two women and four children from the same family were injured.

Syrian Mosaic said that the town had been bombarded “with 19 explosive barrels, 27 airstrikes, 160 rockets, and 30 artillery shells.”

@NagiNajjar reported that rockets were fired from a Russian military camp in Bridij.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–6
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (47) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "The picture is of smoke rising from the town of Habit in the countryside #Idlib South following air raids" (via @AbazidMohamad).
  • Translation: "Two women and four children from a single family were rescued from the rubble of their demolished house as a result of the targeting of civilian houses in the town of Habit in rural Idlib, with six explosive drums and two warplanes” (via @SyriaCivilDefe).
  • An airstrike hits Al Habit, May 4th (via NPA).
  • "The bombing of a fixed wing aircraft belonging to the Syrian regime forces several missiles near the Martyr Khaled al-Bakr School for Basic Education in the village of Habit in the southern governorate of Idlib, resulting in partial damage to the entrance and the wall, and the damage to its construction and furniture with moderate material damage, on 4 May 2019" (via SN4HR).
  • "The bombing of a fixed-wing aircraft belonging to the Syrian regime with rockets, a gathering of 3 schools, "Khalid Al-Mousa Secondary School, Khawla Primary School, Al-Qadisiya School" in the village of Habit in the southern governorate of Idlib. In partial damage to school buildings and damage to furniture, on May 3, 2019." (via SN4HR).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A severely injured man laying underneath the rubble, after alleged Russian or Syrian regime air and/or artillery strikes on Al Habit, May 4th, 2019 (via @Alma8900).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers evacuating a wounded man after alleged Russian or Syrian regime air or artillery strikes on Al Habit, May 4th, 2019 (via @SyriaCivilDefe).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers in front of an ambulance after alleged Russian or Syrian regime air or artillery strikes on Al Habit, May 4th, 2019 (via @SyriaCivilDefe).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime air or artillery strikes on Al Habit, May 4th, 2019 (via @SyriaCivilDefe).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers evacuating a wounded man after alleged Russian or Syrian regime air or artillery strikes on Al Habit, May 4th, 2019 (via @SyriaCivilDefe).
  • Translation: "With high-explosive missiles, a military aircraft unloaded its cargo on the town of Al Habit south Idlib" (via Step News Agency).
  • Translation: "The town of Habit in the village of Idlib at the mercy of bombing and explosive barrels" (via Shaam News Network).
  • Translation: "The moment when the helicopter bombed the explosive barrel on the town of Habit in rural Idlib" (via Baladi News).
  • Translation: "The effects of the destruction of the Habit in the countryside of Idlib as a result of the bombing of the regime and the Russian occupation" (via Aljesr Tv).
  • Translation: " A violent line of rocket launchers targets the town of Habit, north of Hama" (via Qasioun News).
  • Translation: A woman was rescued from the rubble in the town of Habit and the rest of her family - white helmets" (via Syrian Civil Defence).

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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–6
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (47) [ collapse]