Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

RS1002

Incident date

July 13, 2016

Location

الفردوس, Al Fardous (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.180995, 37.151892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian airstrikes killed three civilians including two children in Aleppo’s Ferdos neighbourhood, local media reported.

Sources said that warplanes continued to fly around the area after their airstrike. Syrian PC and Smart News Agency blamed Russian warplanes for the shelling in Al Ferdos.

According to Sinn News, two women were also killed in the attack. They were not named.

Enab Baladi said that the Civil Defence worked to get trapped civilians out of the rubble.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad Hussein
20 years old male killed
Hadil Bakour
2 years old killed
Qusay Qado
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • A man sits on the rubble caused by alleged Russian warplanes in Al Ferdos neighbourhood. 13th July 2016. (via. Enab Baladi).
  • The impact of alleged Russian warplane shelling on a street in Ferdos, Aleppo (via Syrianpc)
  • Masses of rubble in Ferdos after alleged Russian warplans struck (via Sin)
  • Hadil Bakour, a child in killed in the suspected Russian shelling on Ferdos (via Aleppo White Helmets) [Page no longer available - accessed via Airwars archive)
  • A list of alleged victims - @0’52” "Al Ferdos: Ahmad Hussein 20 years old, Hadil Bakour, 2 years old" (Youtube by Halab Today TV)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between July 1st – 14th 2016.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1066

Incident date

July 29, 2016

Location

حي بستان القصر, Bustan al Qasr (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.19569, 37.14229 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians died in an airstrike on Bustan al Qasr, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to whether Russia or the Syrian regime were to blame.

The Shaam News Network reported that “Russian enemy planes continued targeting the neighbourhoods of the besieged city of Aleppo with dozens of raids every day, targeting field hospitals and civilians’ homes, leading to dozens of injured and dead including women and children – including five martyrs in Bustan al Qasr.”

However, according to the Syrian Press Center, “regime helicopters threw explosive barrels in Bustan and Qaser and killed 5 people and wounded dozens.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between July 29th – 31st 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1272

Incident date

September 16, 2016

Location

تلبيسة, Talbisah, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8420186, 36.711974 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five named civilians including one child and a woman died and up to eight more were wounded in alleged Russian or Assad regime air and artillery strikes on Talbissa, Homs, according to sources on the ground.

Syria News Desk reported that “three young men were killed and five others wounded today after cluster bombs dropped by Russian warplanes exploded yesterday [Sept 16th] on Talbissa’s neighbourhoods. This led to fires, and fire fighting teams rushed to the scene.”

However, the Smart News Agency blamed regime artillery for the death of four civilians and wounding of eight more.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights also pointed to the regime, reporting that a child and a woman died in an artillery bombardment.

Jisrtv reported that five people died as a result of “artillery fire and air strikes with phosphorus bombs”.

Step News Agency named five victims, listed below.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mohammed Mahmoud Al Dakkah
Age unknown male killed
Aiman Mahmoud Al Dakkah
Age unknown male killed

The victims were named as:

Alaa Abdel-Moaain Kasab
10 years old male killed
Kholoud Asim al-‘Allus
Age unknown female killed
Alaa Bajaqh
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child1 woman3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Possibly one of the victims of the alleged Russian or Syrian airstrikes targeting Talbissah, Homs. There is however no source behind this image.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of the alleged Russian or Syrian airstrikes targeting al-Tabissah, Homs (via Zamanalwasl)
  • Alleged Russian or Syrian airstrikes on al-Tabissah, Homs (via JsirTV twitter)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child1 woman3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–8
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI164

Incident date

December 21, 2015

Location

الرمادي, Ramadi, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.43747, 43.28632 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A Coalition strike, possibly by drone, killed five civilians after a missile was said to have hit a restaurant in 17 Street in Ramadi.

On June 7th, 2017 the Coalition admitted responsibility for the incident, reporting: “Dec. 21, 2015, near Ramadi, Iraq, via Airwars report: During a strike on ISIS fighters, it was assessed that five civilians were unintentionally killed in an adjacent structure.”

In July 2019, the Coalition provided Airwars with the location of this incident, accurate to within a 100 metre box.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Prior to the Coalition releasing the MGRS for this incident, Airwars had geolocated it to the nearest city at 33.437441, 43.286666

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    Killed in adjacent structure
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    5
  • Stated location
    near Ramadi, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLC407011
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017

  • Dec. 21, 2015, near Ramadi, Iraq, via Airwars report: During a strike on ISIS fighters, it was assessed that five civilians were unintentionally killed in an adjacent structure.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

The Coalition reported that for December 21st-22nd 2015, “Near Ramadi, six strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL command and control nodes, four ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), wounded two ISIL fighters, and denied ISIL access to terrain.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3051

Incident date

February 21, 2018

Location

عربين, Arbeen, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.538143, 36.364331 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As the aerial shelling of eastern Ghouta continued on February 21st, the town of Arbeen was struck by Russian and/or Assad-waged air raids, killing up to five civilians and wounding another three, local media reported.

On February 21st, al-Modon reported that “more than 50 air raids” were carried out in multiple towns in eastern Ghouta, including Arbeen, who reportedly was among the locations most intensely struck. Euphrates Post reported that the strikes in Arbeen hit residential neighbourhoods.

While some reports, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported one fatality, Baladi News put the toll at five.

A family was reportedly among the fatalities as tweeted by Mohammed al-Ezzo who published a photo of a father mourning the death of his family.

It should be noted that the Violations Documentation Center Syria reported that a total of 18 civilians were killed in Arbeen “since yesterday”. This number should be seen in light of the shelling on February 20th where up to 18 civilians were reported killed (see R2849).

The number of wounded spanned from one to three, the highest reported by Step News Agency.

It should be noted that two separate strikes possibly took place; one during the night and one during the day. Videos published by Arbeen Media Center namely depict air raids in daylight and nighttime, both dated February 21st.

Finally, it remains unclear whether Russia carries the responsible alone or whether if it is shared with the Syrian regime. Baladi News and al-Modon point to the latter while others, including SN4HR, only blame Russian warplanes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • The moment the contested airstrike hits Arbeen, Damascus, February 21th, 2018 (via Arbeen Media Center)
  • The moment the contested airstrike hits Arbeen, Damascus, February 21th, 2018 (via Arbeen Media Center)
  • The moment the contested airstrike hits Arbeen, Damascus, February 21th, 2018 (via Arbeen Media Center)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A man mourning the death of his family, reportedly killed by the contested airstrikes in Arbeen, Damascus, February 21st, 2018 (via Mohammed al-Ezzo)
  • Civil defence members evacuating wounded civilians following contested airstrikes in Arbeen, Damascus, February 21st, 2018 (via Syria Civil Defense)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2728 CS1673a

Incident date

November 13, 2017

Location

جليب غانم, Jleib Ghanem area, Al Qouriya desert, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.953333, 40.534722 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians including two children and a woman died and as many as dozens more were wounded in an airstrike on a camp for displaced persons in the Jleib Ghanem area, Al Qouriya desert, according to local media.

Most sources blamed Russia, though @basher_811 pointed to the Coalition,, reporting:  “5 martyrs and a number of casualties as a result of the international coalition aircraft targeting a camp for displaced people from the city of Qouriya in the area of Jleib Ghanem desert DeirEzzor”.

Sharqiya Voice added that “dozens” were wounded, though others sources put the number at seven or nine.

In the first of their September 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

wife of Taha Al Nu`maa
Adult female killed
wife of Saif Al Taha Al Nu`maa
Adult female killed
Daughter of Saif al-Taha
Child female killed
Daughter of Saif al-Taha
Child female killed
Ahmed Al Saleh Al Taha
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, US-led Coalition

Sources (13) [ collapse]

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
    37SFU401689
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 9, 2020

  • Nov. 13, 2017, in Jleib Ghanem, 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. 3166/CS1673a 37SFU401689

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, US-led Coalition

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2494

Incident date

September 22, 2017

Location

سرجة, Sarja, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.5816284, 36.9212293 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians were killed and “dozens” more  were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes against the town of Sarja in rural Idlib South, local media reported. Some sources said that the strikes originated from Russian ships in the Mediterranean, while others pointed to warplanes.

Idlib Media Centre reported “the death  of three martyrs and dozens of wounded as a result of the bombing of Russia aircraft carrying out 10 strikes in the outskirts of the town of Sarja in Jabal al-Zawia”.

Al Latamna Youth Group put the death toll at five and also blamed Russia.

According to Al Aan TV, “nine civilians were killed and others were wounded, including children and women, as a result of the bombing by Russian warplanes and boats in the Mediterranean of cities and towns of the southern countryside of Idlib.”

Other sources, including the Violations Documentation Centre, published names of non-civilians who were killed. The Step News Agency noted that “a Russian air raid targeted the headquarters of Souqour al Sham in the town of Siraj in Jabal al-Zawiya, killing four of its members and injuring six others.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of a victim of the alleged Russian airstrikes against Sarja on September 22nd, 2017 (via Al Latamna Youth Facebook)
  • An alleged Russian airstrike hits Sarja, Sept 22nd.
  • A strike hits Sarja, Sept 22nd.
  • Translation: "The targeting of civilian houses in the village of Siraja by vacuum and concussion bombs, resulting in 5 civilian martyrs and a large number of wounded"
  • Translation: "more than 15 injuries as a result of the targeting of the village of Sarga by Russian air and ballistic missiles."

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS762

Incident date

May 2, 2017

Location

تل الجاير, Tall al-Jayer, Al-Hasakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.033926, 41.0987592 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five named civilians died in an alleged ‘Coalition’ airstrike on al Dashisha market in Tal al Jayer town east of al Shadadi on the Syrian/Iraqi border, according to local sources.

JisiT V, which pointed towards the Coalition, reported that a commercial shop was hit.

No Coalition strike was publicly reported in the area that day despite its being the only party blamed. However unilateral US strikes in Syria are not declared – which is what this may have been.

The victims were named by Al Hassaka Youth Union, Soheb_alheskyi and Hasakah News – all blaming the Coalition.

The Coalition itself later denied conducting strikes in the geographic area that day which corresponded to claims of civilian harm.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Majed Mohammad al Aswad
Age unknown killed
Hassan al Abdallah al Aswad
killed

The victims were named as:

Hussein al Mohammad al A’kla
Age unknown male killed
Abd al-Lateef Mosa al-Kamel
Age unknown male killed
Ahmad Bassam al-Amouri
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Majed Mohammad al Aswad, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on market, May 2nd (via Hasakah Youth)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
  • Stated location
    market near Tal Al Jayer, Syria ()
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SFV889897
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018

  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition has not publicly reported any airstrikes in Hassakah governorate for May 1st-3rd.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (12) [ collapse]