Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4454

Incident date

February 15, 2020

Location

سرمدا, Sarmada, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One civilian was allegedly killed and up to four others injured by a Syrian regime or Russian shelling on Al Muthanna IDP camp in the east of Sarmada, Idlib.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said: “Syrian regime forces’ artillery fired shells on al Muthanna IDPs Camp, located in east of Sarmada city in the northern suburbs of Idlib governorate, killing the displaced Yaser Khaled al Shehadah al Ma’mou, and severely damaging a number of tents, on February 15, 2020.”

Step News Agency wrote: “Noureddine Mohamed, a reporter of the ‘Step News Agency’ in Idlib and its countryside, said that a civilian was killed and 3 others were wounded by the displaced people of Umm Al-Khalakhil village in the eastern Idlib countryside, due to artillery shelling by the Syrian regime forces on the Muthanna camp in the vicinity of Sarmada.”

Smart News reported the same casualty toll and said the injuries were minor.

Human Rights Watch said in their report in October 2020 said that “On February 15, two artillery shells landed in the middle of Muthana, another informal camp for displaced persons, also to the east of Sarmada.The camp had about 200 tents, with most families having arrived there by November 2019. Two SCD volunteers who responded to the attack said that projectiles directly hit tents, setting four on fire. They said that the projectiles killed one man and wounded three other men and one woman, all camp residents.”

The internally displaced people that were affected were thought to have been displaced from Al-Khalakhil village in the eastern countryside of Idlib.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yaser Khaled al Shehadah al Ma’mou
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), 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, Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (33) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • Damaged tent in an IDP camp near Saramada after alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on February 15th, 2020 (via MMC)
  • One civilian was allegedly killed and up to four others injured in a Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on an IDP camp in the city of Sarmada between February 14th and 15th 2020 (Image via @ala_hacioglu / Twitter)
  • One civilian was allegedly killed and up to four others injured in a Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on an IDP camp in the city of Sarmada between February 14th and 15th 2020 (Image via @ala_hacioglu / Twitter)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One civilian was allegedly killed and up to four others were injured in a Russian or Syrian regime attack on an IDP camp in Sarmada (Image via @seerij80 / Twitter)
  • Abdl Al Kareem Al Mustafa posted photos onto Facebook after an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike hit a camp for IDP in Sarmada.
  • Abdl Al Kareem Al Mustafa posted photos onto Facebook after an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike hit a camp for IDP in Sarmada.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), 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, Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (33) [ collapse]