Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4373

Incident date

January 28, 2020

Location

عنجارة, Ainjara, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

One girl died and her mother and up to four siblings were wounded in alleged Russia or regime airstrikes on Ainjara village, according to local media. All but one source (the Step News Agency) blamed solely Russia for the strikes and associated civilian harm.

The Smart News Agency reported: “A girl was killed and others, all of them from the same family, were wounded on Tuesday [Jan 28th], by Russian air strikes on the village of Ainjara (18 km west of Aleppo) in northern Syria…local sources said that a child had been killed and four children and their mother were injured as a result of the bombing of Russian warplanes on civilian homes in the village of Ainjara.”

The Violations Documentation Center in Syria reported one death and four others wounded, including three children; this story was corroborated by Smart News. Smart News also reported that the deceased child’s mother was among the wounded. Thiga News reported that one wounded child was brought to Turkey for medical attention. Syrian Civil Defense later confirmed that all the casualties were from one family, with two sisters and their mother wounded, and one sister killed. Halab News reported that the family’s house was specifically targeted.

Smart added that some of the wounded – among them critical cases – were treated in Turkish hospitals, “while the rest of the wounded were transferred to hospitals in the region by the civil defense teams.”

The White Helmets put the wounded toll lower, reporting that “a child was killed and her mother and two sisters from the Hassan Dergham family were injured”.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights named the girl as Hasan Dergham Rustum.

While the overwhelming majority of sources attributed the raids to Russia, The Step News Agency said that the regime also carried out strikes on Ainjara village on this day.

Halab News noted that Ainjara was civilian area, and the house of the casualties was targeted by warplanes.

According to @SyrianCoalition, the strike occurred in the afternoon, though the White Helmets said that it happened “in the morning”.

The incident occured during the day.

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

Child female killed
Adult female injured
Child female injured
Child female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–5
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Ainjara, Jan 28th (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Ainjara, Jan 28th (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Ainjara, Jan 28th (via White Helmets)
  • The ruins of a family's home following an alleged Russian airstrike in Ainjara, Jan 28th (via SyrianCoalition)

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime 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 harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–5
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (20) [ collapse]