Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1938 ISSY007 RS4199

Incident date

November 25, 2019

Location

ترحين, Tarhin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.516944, 37.541389 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were reportedly killed in alleged Russian, Syrian regime, Israeli or US-led Coalition airstrikes on Tarhin village, Aleppo governorate, on November 25th, 2019, according to local sources. An unknown number of civilians were wounded.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “local sources said that six explosions were heard in different areas, and the sources confirmed that the raids targeted the Al-Haraqat area near Tarhin village, Al Burj village and the southern part of Jarabulus city.” The SOHR added that there were reports of injured civilians in Tarhin.

Smart News Agency said that “three people were killed and another was missing as a result of the shelling by unknown warplanes of oil burners near the village of Tarhin in the Al Bab area, east of Aleppo city in northern Syria.”

There were conflicting claims against the Coalition, Israel, Russia and the Assad regime. According to Baladi News, “there was a discrepancy in information about the identity of the aircraft, whether they were Russian or belonging to the international coalition.” Sources reported that the Turkish army and/or Turkish-backed factions were the target.

A tweet from @putintintin1 referred to an “unknown warplane (believed to be UAV) targeted a truck near Tarhin”.

@osama_sy87 tweeted a video, writing that “Russian airstrikes targeted oil burners in Tarhin village of Al Bab countryside, north of Aleppo, which resulted in deaths and injuries of burners workers, as well as shelling of oil burners and tanks in Al Kousa village of Jarablus countryside, east Aleppo.”

A Syrian PC correspondent reported that “a number of oil burners in the village of Tarhin of the city of Bab east of Aleppo were killed and others were injured after Russian aircraft targeted three oil tanks in the village.”

Effect News posted a video of Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering the heavily charred bodies of the victims a day after the strikes. The SCD themselves wrote that “three people were found dead by Civil Defense teams as they inspected the area that was hit by aerial bombardments yesterday evening in Tarhin village east of Aleppo.”

Step News Agency reported that, according to a private source, “telephone conversations took place on Tuesday, the nineteenth of this month [November], between the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Yisrael Katz, and the co-chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Council ‘Syria’, Ilham Ahmed.”

According to the informant, “the two sides agreed during the contacts on the principle of oil for protection, that is, Israel’s access to Syrian oil located in areas controlled by the militia ‘SDF’ northeast of the country, in return for securing protection for the militia, and pressure on Turkey regarding its military operation Peace Spring”, implying that Israel had been responsible for the strikes on Tarhin villages.

The source added that “the raid on the oil burning areas was aimed at sending a message to the opposition factions supported by Turkey, and behind Turkey, not to extend too much in the areas of Operation Peace Spring.”

Zaman Al Wasl reported that, according to a private military source, the Coalition had been responsible for the strikes. In their August 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports of civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The incident occured during the night.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention multiple strikes on oil refineries in the area west of the village of Tarhin (ترحين). The coordinates for the village are: 36.516944, 37.541389

  • Reports of the incident mention the oil refineries in the area west of the village of Tarhin (ترحين) being struck.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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, US-led Coalition, Israeli Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (55) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (18) [ collapse]

  • Translation: “The effects of the bombing of the diesel burners two days ago in # Terhin, north of Aleppo. Of course, the Syrian regime falsely claimed that it bombed a column of Kurdish tanks that were smuggling Syrian oil to Erbil via Jarablus, to be smuggled later from Erbil to Turkey. You understand! ? The bombing was Turkish, and the target was political and economic” (via @CihadKoro).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    SCD found bodies of civilians killed in Tahrin. (via SCD)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    SCD found bodies of civilians killed in Tahrin. (via SCD)
  • SCD found bodies of civilians killed in Tahrin. (via SCD)
  • SCD found bodies of civilians killed in Tahrin. (via SCD)
  • SCD found three bodies of civilians killed in Tarhin (via Orient)
  • SCD found three bodies of civilians killed in Tarhin (via Orient)
  • Translation: “Video documents Russian air strikes targeting oil burners in Tarhin village of Al Bab countryside, north of Aleppo, which resulted in deaths and injuries of burners workers, as well as shelling of oil burners and tanks in Al Kousa village of Jarablus countryside, east Aleppo” (via @osama_sy87).
  • 1. “Translation: From the northern countryside of Aleppo. Warplanes are likely Russian. Shelling multiple areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo. Knew them burners in Tarhin north of the city of Bab 15 km and Kusa south of Jarablus” (via @naserhmedi).
  • Translation: “Warplanes bombard oil burners in Aleppo countryside” (via Enab Baladi).
  • Translation: “An unknown bombardment is likely that the Russian occupation affects oil burners northeast of Aleppo” (via OrientTV).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers putting out fire after alleged Russian, Israeli or Coalition airstrikes on Tarhin village on November 25th, 2019 (via Syrian Civil Defence Aleppo).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers extinguishing fire after alleged Russian, Israeli or Coalition airstrikes on Tarhin village on November 25th, 2019 (via Syrian Civil Defence Aleppo).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers putting out fire after alleged Russian, Israeli or Coalition airstrikes on Tarhin village on November 25th, 2019 (via Syrian Civil Defence Aleppo).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers attending to fires after alleged Russian, Israeli or Coalition airstrikes on Tarhin village on November 25th, 2019 (via Syrian Civil Defence Aleppo).

Russian Military Assessment:

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

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCA693422
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 22, 2020
  • Nov. 25, 2019, near Tarhin, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3134/CS1938 37SCA693422

Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli 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
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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, US-led Coalition, Israeli Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (55) [ collapse]