Up to four non-combatants, including two children, were killed and 10 injured in alleged Russian nighttime airstrikes on Benin.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that phosphorous weapons may have been used in two strikes, which burned 500m of agricultural land. Additional strikes then targeted an olive pressing facility and a bakery in Bayneen. Nine civilian cars were also allegedly burnt out, and six others damaged.
One of the founders of the Human Rights Office for Violations Documentation in Idlib province, a lawyer was killed. Mr Abu Rawad’s son and one of his nephews also died, despite receiving treatment for their injuries at a field hospital.
Shaam News Network reported that Abu Rawwad “devoted all his time to collecting and documenting violations by the Assad regime and his security forces.”
An activist from Al Zawiya mountain added: “Abu Rawwad was a beacon of light who worked day and night documenting the regime’s violations and visiting with us on a daily basis in our office… He often couldn’t afford the fuel for his motorcycle and he had a poor family with several children… But this did not prevent him from working even for one moment thanks to his morals and his love for the revolution and the revolutionaries.”
The Syrian Network said this was the first time it had documented the alleged use of phosphorous bombs by Russian forces. Upon analysing the remnants of shells, it believed white phosphorous was used. According to the Network, no non-combatants were reported injured due to the use of phosphorous bombs, but three were killed as a result of the subsequent shelling of the olive pressing facility and the bakery.
Khaled Nour, a local resident and eyewitnesses told SN4HR: “The warplanes launched two airstrikes on Bayneen town. The rocket exploded in the air and I saw a group of fireballs. When it reached the ground, it caused a great fire. Then the Russian warplanes conducted another airstrike on a nearby region with four vacuum rockets which destroyed the olive presser and the bakery. The shelling injured dozens of individuals. We did not hear the sound of the rocket that dropped the phosphorus bombs but we heard the sound of the warplane and we saw the fireballs and very thick white smoke.”
Moustafa Ghareeb, a local activist who examined the shelled region told SN4HR: “I went to the first location and saw remnants from phosphorous shelling spread over a wide area. Almost 500 meters of agricultural lands were burned as well. The bombs left remnants of molten iron which became watery fluid due to the heat as well as the black viscous substance that smelled like sewage water. The residents in the region told me that a rocket targeted the olive presser where 15 cars were present next to it; all of which belonged to civilians since we are harvesting olives these days.
Then the warplanes targeted the people who escaped the shelling on the olive presser and it shelled the square where the cars had been parked. A few minutes later, it targeted a bakery with three rockets. I saw great and massive destruction to the oil presser, the bakery and the flour storage house. In addition to the human casualties, the shelling damaged the olive crops which the residents rely on to earn a living. I believe that Russian reconnaissance planes monitored car movements to and from the olive presser which made it a target for the warplanes. Russian warplanes not only kill us, they destroy our crops and livelihoods.”
Mohamad Thakara, head of a local civil defence team which went to the shelling location, told the Network: “When we arrived there, the grove was burning and we put [the fire] down. We also collected bomb remnants… Later, Russian warplanes targeted the region with rockets thought to be vacuum rockets and targeted the olive presser, the nearby square and the bakery. We pulled out victims’ bodies from under the rubble and transported injured people. During that time we were shelled again and two members of our team were injured, and our ambulance was damaged. I took my teammates, the rest of the injured people and the victims to the hospital. The shelling caused great destruction to the agricultural lands and civilians’ cars. The Russian warplanes conducted more than 9 airstrikes on a purely civilian region. They did not only target civilians but civil defense members as well”
Smart News published a video showing the alleged bombing, which it claimed killed four civilians, and injured 10.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
