Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4534

Incident date

July 26, 2023

Location

الأتارب, Al Atareb, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

On July 26, 2023, two civilians were reportedly killed in al-Atareb, Aleppo, in an artillery strike allegedly launched by Syrian regime and/or Russian forces. Aid workers indicated that two additional people were injured in the attack.

Syria Civil Defence shared that a young man and his uncle—identified as Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam and Abd al-Razzaq Abdo Rustam by independent journalist Ahmad al-Shably—were killed on the outskirts of al-Atareb while they were grazing sheep, with other sources mentioning that the civilians were in a car at the time of the attack. Sources corroborate that the two men were shepherds, who lived in the nearby village of Anjara.

When asked by Syria TV News, Civil Defence personnel stated that two other individuals were wounded, one of whom was Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam’s father. The spokesman also stated that the artillery strike and concurrent guided missile attack were launched by the Syrian regime and Russian military forces. Multiple sources refer to the munition used in the attack as an anti-tank guided missile, or ATGM.

A tweet from @mzmgr941 pointed out that at the time, seven Russian/Iranian reconnaissance planes and three Coalition reconnaissance planes were monitoring the area.

Following the attack, victims were evacuated and treated by aid workers affiliated with Syria Civil Defence. The Syrian Civil Defense also reported that around midnight the same evening, a car for the families of the victims of the initial strike were attacked by guided missiles launched by the Syrian regime forces, which resulted in a fire but no injuries. However, the Syrian regime continued to monitor the location, making it difficult for Civil Defense volunteers to reach the site of the strikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

bd al-Razzaq Abdo Rustam عبد الرزاق عبدو رستم
male killed
Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam محمود أحمد رستم
male Nephew of Abd killed
Mahmoud Ahmad Rustam’s father
male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Civil defense volunteers with victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil defense volunteers with victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil defense volunteers with victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil defense volunteers with victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @Ahmad_1alshble)
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on July 26, 2023. (Image posted by @Ahmad_1alshble)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The death of two civilians from the town of "Anjara" as a result of targeting their car with a missile directed by the regime's militia, in the vicinity of the town of Kafr Nuran, west of Aleppo. 📸 The video is circulating from sources from Aleppo

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
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]