Three of four civilians from one family were killed and seven others were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the northern outskirts of the city of Binnish, Idlib governorate, on August 3rd, 2020, according to local sources. The airstrikes occured in conjunction with alleged Syrian regime artillery strikes.
Step News Agency reported that “three civilians from one family were killed and seven others were injured, at dawn today, Monday [September 3rd], after Russian airstrikes on Idlib, coinciding with the artillery shelling of the Syrian regime forces that targeted tents for displaced persons and residential buildings on the outskirts of Binnish city in Idlib eastern countryside.”
According to Step’s correspondent, the victims were Internally Displaced People (IDP) sheltering in tents near the target site. The Syrian Network for Human Rights identified the killed victims as displaced civilians from the village of Al Bujr: Majed Jasem Al Muhammad and the brothers Zaid and Majed Mesleh al Muhamad. According to the Syrian Civil Defence, Majed Jasem Al Muhammad was the father of the brothers.
@abuhuzaifa_ posted a photo on Twitter of three children, including an injured child, writing that “the father and mother died after being in a critical condition as a result of a severe injury, and these children remained alone. The family of Musleh Al Muhammad from Reef #Saraqeb after an aerial bombardment of the Russian occupation on the outskirts of the city of Binnish at dawn today.” This implicated that a woman was also killed in the strikes.
@ShahbaPress and @SyrianCoalition later reported that four civilians had died. @so_ria98 also later updated the civilian death toll to four.
While the Syrian Civil Defence also reported seven injured, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported one injured civilian.
The Syrian Civil Defence wrote that “in conjunction with the Russian airstrikes, artillery bombardments of the regime forces targeted the same place with about 10 shells, with the aim of causing the largest possible number of casualties and preventing civil defence teams from reaching and saving civilians”, adding that SCD teams evacuated the wounded to hospitals and put out fires caused by the bombing.
Both Edlib Media Center and IdlibPlus reported five airstrikes. While nearly all sources blamed Russia for the airstrikes, Ain Ala Hasaka reported that “national aviation” had been responsible.
Providing context, the Syrian Network for Human Rights wrote that “despite the fact that Binnesh city is subject to a ceasefire agreement, reached following consultations between the Turkish and Russian presidents, which came into effect on March 6, 2020, the Syrian regime and its allies continue to attack the area, which has resulted in fresh displacement of residents.”
The incident occured around dawn.
