Between 8 and 15 civilians including one woman and one to two children died – and dozens more were injured – in airstrikes on a market in Ariha, according to multiple local sources. Reports are conflicted as to whether the attacks were carried out by Russia or the Assad regime, with one source saying that both parties were responsible.
In an initial report, Shaam News Network said the regime was to blame. It put the death toll at 12 with dozens more wounded. The Syrian Network for Human Rights also attributed the incident to the regime, although said seven died including a woman and a child.
However, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – which published a video showing destruction on Ariha and 19 images – suspected Russian warplanes were responsible. It put the death toll at seven including two children and one woman.
A subsequent Syrian Observatory report put the death toll higher at eight, adding that it was likely to rise because 30 people were injured, some in critical condition. It also said that “some information reported 2 other casualties“.
In a later report, Shaam News Network appeared to change position and blame Moscow: “Russian aircraft raided on the city of Ariha causing the fall of 10 martyrs and several wounded after being targeted for market popular downtown.”
Orient News instead blamed the regime for shelling a market, and put the death toll at eight including one woman. According to Akhbar Alaan, “The Syria regime used a MiG-23 plane to carry out three air strikes on Ariha”. They said that “nearly ten” died, including women and children and 25 others were injured, some critically, adding that there had been widespread destruction and damage to the shops in the market. Muslim2day put the death toll as high as 15 with up to 50 wounded.
Sin also said eight died – and that the regime was responsible – and put the number of wounded at 24. It named several victims, including a woman and a child who could not be identified.
SHRC – who blamed Russia – named an additional victim.
But according to Chamtime, both Russia and the regime were responsible: “nine were killed and tens were wounded in three raids by warplanes in Ariha. The first two were Russian and the third was regime.“
The local time of the incident is unknown.
