At approximately 7:30 pm on Wednesday, 29th May 2024, an airstrike and/or artillery strike with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Israeli military or the Syrian regime forces on a residential building in the southern Corniche neighborhood of the city of Banyas, Tartous governorate, Syria, killed one young girl and injured at least twelve identified civilians.

A two-year-old girl named Diana Mohammed Sabbagh was killed in the attack. Multiple social media users posted a photo of her – a small girl dressed in a denim jacket and jeans. The Facebook user Banyas shared a video showing the child’s funeral with a capture: “With roses and laurel, the city of #Baniyas carried the bride, the child Diana Muhammad Sabbagh, as a beautiful angel to heaven.”

While SANA news, Kingdom Channel and Twitter/X users reported that 10 civilians were injured, the Director of Banyas Hospital, Dr. Imad Bashour reported “the arrival of 12 wounded to the hospital” as a result of the missile strikes. Dr. Bashour reported “two injuries in critical condition and the rest in moderate to mild condition”, and that “the necessary medical services and treatment were provided to the injured while keeping them under observation, and their condition does not cause concern.” Twitter/X account of Al-Jazeera Arabic reported that dozens were injured, referring to the Syrian state-run SANA agency.

One of the injured civilians was a boy, and Twitter/X user @BinNassema posted a photo of him in hospital with his arm in a sling.

Haitham Tartous posted a list of the civilians killed and injured in the incident. Facebook user Banias the Moon posted a photo of an injured man covered in dust, with blood on his hands in a wheelchair.

Two of the civilians injured included a mother Sharifa Mema and her son Abdullah Mema.

Facebook account Banyas posted the photos of two injured civilians in the hospital named Professor Al-Siddiq Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahman and Jalal Othman who were being interviewed on the news as it was evident from the screenshots posted.

Among other injured Haitham Tartous named Mansour Al Hawwash, Usama Al Akhras, Ahmad Al Akhras, Omar Al Akhras, Saliha Khaled Osta, Ruba Mu’tasem Abu Jabra, Naya Sabbagh, and an unknown child.

Multiple sources reported that the missile strikes hit a residential neighbourhood of Banyas central to the city and a residential building. The sources posted the same photos of a house damaged by the missiles, with the living room covered in dust and rubble with a hole in the exterior wall. SANA news and Kingdom Channel reported that the missiles came from the direction of Lebanese territory.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources but one attributed the strike to the Israeli military. However, Twitter/X user @aboalamirb claimed that the missile base in the countryside of Banias confronted the alleged Israeli missile, missed its target and its missiles fell on the city of Banias which led to the killing of a child and the injury of several citizens.

A Twitter/X user @SAMSyria0 refuted this allegation, writing:  “Claims that what happened in Baniyas because of an air defense missile are false, and if an air defense missile was fired, a trail of smoke would be noticed in the sky. The enemy targeted a building in the southern Corniche neighborhood of the city, most likely with a GBU-39B bomb carrying a small warhead.”

As the sources claimed different belligerents were responsible, Airwars has graded both strike status and civilian harm status as contested.