Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4229

Incident date

December 4, 2019

Location

بزابور, Bzabour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One child was killed and eight civilians, including between three to seven children and between one to five women, were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019, according to local sources. All of the named victims appear to come from the same family.

The director of the media office of the Civil Defence in Jericho said in a statement to Smart News Agency that a girl was killed and seven civilians were injured as a result of “Syrian regime helicopters dropping two explosive barrels on a house in the village of Bzabou”.

Enab Baladi reported that eight civilians were injured, three women and three children, and said the strike resulted in “extensive destruction of property, homes and some facilities”.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the airstrike targeted a boys school and killed the girl Fatima Qutaiba al Aasi. The airstrike partially destroyed the school’s building and damaged its furniture. Other sources say the airstrike targeted a family home.

The source, Husam Ahmad Saloum, said the Zapour Boys School was damaged in the strike.

Ktalata Today and ArihaToday reported the names those injured in the attack: Mohamed Ahmed Al-Asi, Abdul Alim Muhammad Al-Asi (child), Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Asi (infant) and Aya Muhammad Al-Asi (child).

The Syrian Civil Defence posted on Facebook that their teams had rescued seven civilians, including five children, from underneath the rubble.

@almo3tasem91 reported that family members injured in the attack were recovering in the hospital.

Most sources alleged that Syrian regime helicopters had carried out the strike. Shaam News reported the death of a child in Bzabour and said Russian and Syrian regime warplanes carried out “very violent and air raids” on December 4th, 2019.

@IdlibPlus said the strike took place in the afternoon.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Fatima Qutaiba al Aasi فاطمة قتيبة العاصي
female Referred to as a child by sources. killed
Mohamed Ahmed Al-Asi محمد أحمد العاصي
male injured
Abdul Alim Muhammad Al-Asi عبد العليم محمد العاصي
male Referred to as a child by sources. injured
Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Asi عبد الرحمن محمد العاصي
male Referred to as an infant by sources. injured
Aya Muhammad Al-Asi اية محمد العاصي
Referred to as a child by sources. injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via MMC on Facebook).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via MMC on Facebook).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defence volunteer helping a child after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via @IdlibPlus).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defence volunteers rescuing children from underneath the rubble after an alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrike on the town of Bzabour on December 4th, 2019 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers rescuing children from underneath the rubble after an alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrike on the town of Bzabour on December 4th, 2019 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike that killed a young girl and left seven members of her family injured in the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019. (Uploaded by @almo3tasem91)

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown 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
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]