Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4385

Incident date

September 7, 2021

Location

مخيم مريم, Maryam refugee camp, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.992606, 36.640529 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and eight civilians, including three to six children and one to two women, were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on IDPs living in “Maryam” refugee camp on September 7, 2021.

Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) reported that four children and two women were injured in Russian air strikes targeting the outskirts of “Maryam” camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin.

A tweet from @ZaitunAgency put the injury toll at five, including three children while @Najdat567 reported that “more than six civilians” were injured but did not specify how many. The lowest toll provided was that four civilians, three children and a woman, were injured, according the Anadolu Agency while the highest toll provided was eight civilians, including six children, one of whom was in serious condition, and a woman, according to Zaman Al Wasl.

@Almohrar1 provided the names of the civilians injured: Khadija Ziada, Reem Ziada, Aziza Ziada, Salaam Ziada. Nedaa Post added that Ali Abbas was also critically injured in the head and Reem (Al-Yousef) suffered multiple injuries and was in critical condition.

The director of “Maryam” camp, Ahmed Muhammad Abdul Rahman, confirmed in a call with Radio Al-Kul Al-Youm that the raids of the Russian warplanes resulted in the injury of a man, his wife and 4 children, all from one family. One of the children was transferred to Turkey due to the seriousness of his injury.

A video posted by the SCD rescuing a mother and her five children from under the rubbling following the strikes and they described “we rescue[d] those trapped under the rubble, there was a woman and two young girls, and their father was beside us all the time, waiting for us to see them”.

A tweet from @syria55s reported that following the strikes, Russian planes attacked the ambulance systems trying to reach and rescue the victims.

Muhammad Ali Pasha, a volunteer with the White Helmets, recounts that “within a few moments, I had to make a fateful decision, either evacuate the place and leave the children under the rubble, or put myself and my team in mortal danger” due to the continued reconnaissance planes waiting to retarget the area. When he arrived, he described “the voice of the children those who were crying under the rubble” and that he had to calm down the six year old girl under the rubble by telling her “how sweet she is and that she must be strong so that we can look at her and take her to her mother’s”.

The strikes occurred in “Maryam” refugee camp, which houses Internally Displaced Persons, and the strikes resulted in damage to several residents’ tents. Nedaa Post identified that five air strikes were carried out against the camp.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to Russian forces and Macro Media Center specified that the Russian planes that carried out the strikes  took off from the “Hmeimim” air base. 7al reported that the Russian forces used vacuum missiles in the attack.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Khadija Ziada خديجه ذيادة
Age unknown injured
Reem Ziada ريم ذياده
Child female injured
Aziza Ziada عزيزة ذياده
Age unknown injured
Salaam Ziada سلام ذياده
Age unknown injured

The victims were named as:

Ali Abbas
Child male injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Maryam camp, the generic coordinates for which are: 35.992606, 36.640529. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (48) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (31) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets search for injured civilians following strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets search for injured civilians following strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • White Helmets rescue for injured civilians following strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • A father is reunited with his daughter, who was stuck under the rubble following strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of an injury sustained by a child in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by @a2hmmad77)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of an injury sustained by a child in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by @freeehsem)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Zaitun Agency)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Zaitun Agency)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Zaitun Agency)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Zaitun Agency)
  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by @Najdat567)
  • Child injured in strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Anadolu Agency)
  • Smoke and dust caused by strikes on "Maryam" camp and Madjna, near the city of Maarat Misrin, on September 7, 2021. (Image posted by Radio Al Kul)
  • We count God and yes agent injuries in #Maryam camp as a result of targeting the camp by the #Russian occupation aircraft 1_ Khadija Ziada 2_ Reem Ziyadeh 3_ Aziza Ziada 4_ Salam Ziada

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (48) [ collapse]