Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

TS639

Incident date

October 5, 2023

Location

خربة خوي, Kherbet Khoy (Khirbet Khowi), Amuda district, Qamishlo Canton, Al-Hasakah, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Friday, October 6, 2023, several prominent local media outlets including Hawar News Agency, Alhurra News, Alyaum TV, and ANF News conveyed that two civilians were reportedly seriously injured in a bombardment allegedly perpetrated by the Turkish military on the village of Kherbet Khoy in the outskirts of Amuda district of Qamishlo Canton, in the Hasakah region, Syria. The area is under the influence of the Autonomous Administration.

The information shared by the outlets corroborated the location, number of the victims, and information regarding the suspected belligerent. The strike was also reported by the Forum of Self-Administration of North of Syria.

The sources differed in reporting on the nature of the strike. While Alyaum TV wrote that it was a drone attack, ANF and Anha news reported an airstrike.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to the Turkish military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Source: Rojava facebook

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2293

Incident date

June 20, 2017

Location

زملكا, Zamalaka, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5261, 36.35385 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were wounded following air and artillery strikes on the residential neighbourhood of Zamalaka, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame, with some sources attributing blame to Russia while others blamed the Syrian regime.

Douma.Revolution published a video showing a man who was trapped under the rubble being rescued by members of the Syrian Civil Defence. The wounds to his leg looked severe. 

@eyeonhomeland described the artillery shelling as heavy, while other sources reported that the damage to civilian homes was significant. 

LCCSY reported there were three strikes overall on the vicinity – they also blamed the Syrian regime for indiscriminate bombing. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An injured man is pulled from the rubble following an airstrike on the residential neighbourhood of Zamalaka, 20th June 2017. (via Douma.Revolution)

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 specific strikes between June 1st - 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI031

Incident date

November 19, 2019

Location

خانصور, Khanasor, Sinjar, Iraq

Geolocation

36.47777, 41.61138 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that a Turkish drone attacked areas in Shingal region in Iraq on November 19th, 2019 causing deaths and injuries among civilians and YPG fighters.

@murad_ismael reported “Another Turkish airstrike today [Nov 19th] on town of Khanesor. Reportedly there are civilian victims which are yet to be confirmed.”

@ameddicleT added that “Turkish armed unmanned aerial vehicles bombed Khanasor town at noon”.

There is obvious ambiguity as to what the airstrike targeted and who got killed and injured. Some sources reported that the airstrike targeted the house of Elias Dero Hasan Dero, who is “member of the Democratic Party of #Ezidis in #Shingal and has no connection with the #PKK or #YPG.” according to Ezidipress. The same source also said that “close to Dero’s house is a base of the YPG, which was obviously the target of the #Turkish air strike.”

@fekerhoor said that the airstrike targeted “a Kia car carrying six Syrian fighters and Turks, while they were leaving the headquarters of YPG {Sinjar Protection Units}, in the Kansour district of Sinjar, west of Mosul, the Nineveh center.”

NRT said that five YPG fighters were injured in this incident. @xalfxalt tweeted that there have been casualties and deaths as a result of this attack, and so reported Kirkuknow saying that resulted in deaths and injuries among civilians. Dwarozh said the attack killed five people and injured one person without specifying whether they were civilians or not. From their side, Xinhua said that the attack “left 20 militiamen killed and wounded, the Iraqi military said.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

Name unknown

Family members

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]

  • "Turkish warplanes bomb the Yazidi town of Khanasor in Sinjar." (via @Ezidi2).
  • "Turkish warplanes bomb the Yazidi town of Khanasor in Sinjar." (via @Ezidi2).
  • Elias Dero, a politician whose house was a target of the Turkish airstrike on Khanasor, Iraq on November 19th, 2019 (via Ezidipress)
  • Location of the Turkish airstrike on Khanasor (via Khanasor)
  • Targets of the Turkish airstrike in Khanasor, Iraq (via NRT).
  • Aftermath of the Turkish airstrike in Khanasor, Iraq (via NRT).
  • A car burned down due to Turkish airstrikes in Khana Sor, in the Sinune sub-district of Shingal Nov.19.2019. (via: Kirkuk Now)
  • Aftermath of the Turkish airstrike on Khansour in Iraq on Nove 19th, 2019 (via @anmab1121)
  • "Security sources in Sinjar district: Turkish warplanes bombed a headquarters of the Yazidi Sinjar Protection Units in the Khansour complex." (via @AdnanAwadh)
  • "Security sources in Sinjar district: Turkish warplanes bombed a headquarters of the Yazidi Sinjar Protection Units in the Khansour complex." (via @AdnanAwadh)
  • "Turkish air strikes on a headquarters of the Shankal resistance units in the Khansour compound, northwest of Sinjar district." (via@aamerbabeer)
  • "Turkish air strikes on a headquarters of the Shankal resistance units in the Khansour compound, northwest of Sinjar district." (via@aamerbabeer)
  • "Turkish planes bombed the site Pkk targeting the house (Elias Deru) in the Khansour complex of Sunoon district, I hope without human losses .. 19/11/2019." (via @khalidqa20011).
  • Alleged Turkish airstrike hit the house of Ezidi politician Elias Dero in the city #Khanasor, Nov 19th, 2019 (via @Welatpa00428651)
  • Car hit by a Turkish airstrike on in Iraq on Nov 19th, 2019 (via Sotkurdistan).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Khanasor (خانصور), for which the generic coordinates are:36.47777, 41.61138. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM140-C

Incident date

August 14, 2018

Location

Vicinity of Baladul-Rahma and Geeshaan, near Basraa, Lower Shabella, Somalia

Geolocation

2.295726, 45.269251 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In a major Amnesty International report on civilian harm in Somalia, published in March 2019, the NGO made passing reference to a civilian harm event on August 14th the previous year in the vicinity of Baladul-Rahma and Geeshaan, near Basraa.

According to the report, “on 14 August 2018, the US military conducted additional air strikes in the same twin villages [of Baladul-Rahma and Geeshaan]. Local residents and an NGO monitoring group report that civilians were killed in this strike as well.”

According to footnotes, the claim was supported by a “Report from an anonymous NGO, on file at Amnesty International, also; seven in-person interviews in September 2018.”

During followup correspondence with Airwars, a senior Amnesty researcher noted: “We had a fairly large number of people from the area who were adamant about the day and a few details of the airstrike. We also had the day confirmed by a local NGO, but while they were willing to share some data with us they asked us not to name them, so I won’t.”

The researcher also noted however that AFRICOM had not publicly declared a strike on this date.

No additional English-language sources have so far been identified for this event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention multiple strikes on the twin villages of Baladul-Rahma and Geeshaan. The generic coordinates between these villages are: 2.295726, 45.269251. Due to limited information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4229

Incident date

December 4, 2019

Location

بزابور, Bzabour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One child was killed and eight civilians, including between three to seven children and between one to five women, were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019, according to local sources. All of the named victims appear to come from the same family.

The director of the media office of the Civil Defence in Jericho said in a statement to Smart News Agency that a girl was killed and seven civilians were injured as a result of “Syrian regime helicopters dropping two explosive barrels on a house in the village of Bzabou”.

Enab Baladi reported that eight civilians were injured, three women and three children, and said the strike resulted in “extensive destruction of property, homes and some facilities”.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the airstrike targeted a boys school and killed the girl Fatima Qutaiba al Aasi. The airstrike partially destroyed the school’s building and damaged its furniture. Other sources say the airstrike targeted a family home.

The source, Husam Ahmad Saloum, said the Zapour Boys School was damaged in the strike.

Ktalata Today and ArihaToday reported the names those injured in the attack: Mohamed Ahmed Al-Asi, Abdul Alim Muhammad Al-Asi (child), Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Asi (infant) and Aya Muhammad Al-Asi (child).

The Syrian Civil Defence posted on Facebook that their teams had rescued seven civilians, including five children, from underneath the rubble.

@almo3tasem91 reported that family members injured in the attack were recovering in the hospital.

Most sources alleged that Syrian regime helicopters had carried out the strike. Shaam News reported the death of a child in Bzabour and said Russian and Syrian regime warplanes carried out “very violent and air raids” on December 4th, 2019.

@IdlibPlus said the strike took place in the afternoon.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Fatima Qutaiba al Aasi فاطمة قتيبة العاصي
female Referred to as a child by sources. killed
Mohamed Ahmed Al-Asi محمد أحمد العاصي
male injured
Abdul Alim Muhammad Al-Asi عبد العليم محمد العاصي
male Referred to as a child by sources. injured
Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Asi عبد الرحمن محمد العاصي
male Referred to as an infant by sources. injured
Aya Muhammad Al-Asi اية محمد العاصي
Referred to as a child by sources. injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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 attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via MMC on Facebook).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via MMC on Facebook).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defence volunteer helping a child after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via @IdlibPlus).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019 (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defence volunteers rescuing children from underneath the rubble after an alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrike on the town of Bzabour on December 4th, 2019 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers rescuing children from underneath the rubble after an alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrike on the town of Bzabour on December 4th, 2019 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike that killed a young girl and left seven members of her family injured in the town of Bzabour, Idlib governorate, on December 4th, 2019. (Uploaded by @almo3tasem91)

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown 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
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–8
  • 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 attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM253

Incident date

October 25, 2019

Location

Bu'aale, Middle Juba, Somalia

Geolocation

1.251778, 42.575959 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local reports claimed that a pair of airstrikes by unknown intertnational powers – presumably either the United States or Kenya – had targeted al Shabaab fighters in the towns of Jamaame and Buaale.

According to Radio Kulmiye, “Another airstrikes were reported [on Octoberr 25th] from Middle Jubba region, highly controlled by Al-Shabaab. Witnesses said that Jamame and Bu’ale districts were targeted by unspecified war planes. An official named Hussien is said to heve [been] wounded the airstrike and other militants were killed. There is no government claimed responsibility, but US and Kenyan governments always conduct air strikes to eliminate Al-Shabaab. Somali government is also yet to comment these strikes.”

Somalia Online News reported al Shabaab casualties at Buaale though not at Jamaame: ”Gunmen have attacked the villages of Jamame and Buale last night and reportedly killed al-Shabaab fighters and officials. Residents told the media that at Buale an al Shabaab officer called Hussein was wounded, with several members of al-Shabaab killed.”

Asked whether it had been responsible for this event, in February 2020 a senior AFRICOM official told Airwars that this was not the case. However, this may not preclude actions by the CIA which conducts its own undeclared strikes in Somalia.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 attackers
    US Forces, Kenyan Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the town Bu’aale, for which the coordinates are: 1.251778, 42.575959. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Kenyan Military Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Kenyan Military Forces
  • Kenyan Military Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 attackers
    US Forces, Kenyan Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS329A

Incident date

October 12, 2019

Location

رأس العين, Ras Al Ain, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.848579, 40.073576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Th Kurdish Red Crescent reported that a child aged 11 was injured in the head in Ras Al Ain, Syria on October 12th, 2019 as a result of the Turkey operation.

No further details available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ammar Abdullah Abdu
11 years old male KRC injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Ras Al Ain (رأس العين), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.848579, 40.073576. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS137

Incident date

January 28, 2018

Location

راحو, Rajo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.67296, 36.666364 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Kurdish Red Crescent reported that six civilian males were injured – some seriously – in the Rajo area of Afrin Canton.

In a report seen by Airwars six civilians were named as injured – see list below.

Ta3oob_11 reported that “Turkish aircraft heavily bombarded civilian homes in the areas of Raju and Jenders, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Rojin Qahraman
16 years old male injured
Osman Hyder Muhammad
62 years old male injured
Amad Tolhildan
20 years old male injured
Giwan Rashed
29 years old male injured
Ali Shekri Abdo
35 years old male injured
Sepan Abdo
38 years old male injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Rajo (راحو), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.67296, 36.666364. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]