Russian Military in Syria

Russian Military in Syria

A Russian combat aircraft at Khmeimim airbase in Syria being prepared for action. (Russian Ministry of Defence)

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Incident Code

RS2273a

Incident date

June 5, 2017

Location

عقيربات حماده عمر, Hamada Omar, Akeirbat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.025374, 37.423313 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child died and several other civilians were wounded in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on Hamada Omar, according to sources on the ground.

Most sources blamed Russia, though Orient said that the regime had also carried out strikes on Hamada Omar.

@almntserbalaah and Shahbapress said that a child was killed, while Shahbapress added that “other civilians” were wounded.

According to some sources, the airstrike on Hamada Omar made use of white phosphorus munition.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2271

Incident date

June 5, 2017

Location

طفس , Taftas town, Daraa, Syria

Geolocation

32.735089, 36.067813 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported the killing of between four and 14 civilians, including children, and the wounding of up to 31 more in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on civilian areas of the city of Tafas.

Some sources reported that two more civilians succumbed to their wounds after treatment in medical facilities.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights was among several sources putting the death toll at four – though other sources said that the death toll had risen to 12 – and multiple reports named 11 victims. SN4HR attributed the civilian harm to “Syrian-Russian alliance warplanes”.

According to the Shaam News Network, “a horrific massacre took place in the city of Tafas in the village of Daraa after violent raids directly targeting civilian houses. The Civil Defence teams went to the targeted areas to work on lifting the rubble and transporting the martyrs and wounded to the field hospitals.

“The raids claimed the lives of more than nine martyrs and wounded many more, including women and children. There were very serious cases among those wounded, which meant that the death toll may well rise. Activists noted that a number of martyrs are still unidentified because their bodies were burnt”.

Most of the victims of the airstrike had reportedly fled earlier from violence in the city of Daraa.

Orient News gave the highest death count of 14 civilians with 31 more wounded.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ahmad Al-Masri
male killed
Maram Al-Masri
male killed

The victims were named as:

Mahmoud Mohammed Kiwan
Child male While most sources identified him as a child, the Syrian Network for Human Rights listed him as a nurse. killed
Ahmed Aqil Al-Salkhadi
Age unknown male killed
Rashrash Sulaiman Abu Nokta
Age unknown killed
Khaled Samir
Age unknown male killed
Mu’ayyad Aqul
Age unknown killed
Khaled Ibrahim
Age unknown male killed
Ali Al-Saan
Age unknown male killed
Zakaria Osman
Age unknown killed
Abdel Majid Al-Masri
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 14
  • (1–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–31
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Video showing the airstrike targeting Tafas village in the suburbs of Daraa, 5th June 2017. (via HFL)
  • A car destroyed in an airstrike on Taftas, June 5th (via Umayyapress)
  • Translation: 'Russian enemy airliner commits a massacre of civilians in the city of Taftas in the countryside of Daraa, which killed at least 9 martyrs and wounded more than 25 others' 5th June 2017.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: '12 civilian martyrs, including two children and a girl and about 30 injured in massacre caused by Russian raids'. 5th June 2017.
  • The aftermath of an airstrike on Taftas, 5th June 2017. (via SCD)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 14
  • (1–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–31
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2272

Incident date

June 5, 2017

Location

عقيربات , Akeirbat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.0412099, 37.464692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that air raids, likely to be Russian, stuck the town and surrounding farms of Akeirbat in eastern Hama.

@HalabTodayTV reported the use of phosphorus munitions.

Three civilians, including one woman, were reported killed and four others were reportedly taken to hospital for treatment of their wounds.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS928

Incident date

June 7, 2017

Location

طريق السده ا, Al Sadda road, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

34.965147, 40.513302 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 9 and 10 civilians died in an airstrike on a van or small bus near the Al Sadda road, Al Quriya, Deir Ezzor, according to local media. While most sources blamed the Coalition (which confirmed targeting a vehicle in the province on the day), one outlet alleged that Russia was responsible.

Sound and Picture, also blaming the Coalition, put the death toll at nine, while Ahmad al Shibli said as many as 10 died.

Syria Mirror said that in addition to the nine civilians killed, “many more were wounded”.

However, according to Zaman Alwasl, Russia may have been responsible. It reported: “The page ‘heritage and news of the city of Qurya’ on the site Facebook said that the air bombardment targeted the van on the road to Sada.

The page listed the names of eight people who died in the raid without specifying the identity of any culprit, but according to the local network Eastern 24 “it is likely to be Russia.”

Syrian News Desk added that the civilians died “on their way back from paying condolences in the village of al-Tayana in the eastern countryside”.

On March 10, 2022 in the CJTF-OIR Civilian Casualty Report, the Coalition reported this incident to be “non-credible”, stating that “After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Salem Al-Khalif Al-Badawi
Adult male killed
Samer Mohammed Al Idris
Adult male named by Eurphates, “is the son of Muhammad Idris Abu Somar and his uncle is Muslim Idris, who were killed in an air raid on 12/5/2017.” killed
Ali al-Basha
Age unknown male killed
Hatir Al Ramdan
Age unknown killed
Nouri Al-Ramzan Al-Rifai
Age unknown killed
Nouri Al-Falah
Adult male killed
Hazim Al-Idris
Age unknown killed
Hajj Elias
Adult male killed
Eid Al-Rafdan
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 10
  • (4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–10
  • 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-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (31) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • A bus carrying civilians burns following an alleged Coalition raid on Al Sadda road, June 7th 2017. (via Euphrates Post)
  • Samer Muhammad al-Idris (rear), killed in an alleged Coalition strike on Al Sadda road,, June 7th 2017. (via Euphrates Post)
  • A bus carrying civilians burns following an alleged Coalition raid on Al Sadda road, June 7th 2017. (via Free Deir Ezzor facebook)
  • A photo of some of the victims of the alleged Coalition and Russian airstrike on Deir Ezzor, 7th June 2017. (via Asharqiya voice facebook)
  • Nouri al Fallah, killed in the alleged Coalition and Russian airstrike on Deir Ezzor, 7th June 2017. (via Asharqiya voice facebook)
  • Salem al-Badawi, killed in the alleged Coalition and Russian airstrike on Deir Ezzor, 7th June 2017. (via Asharqiya voice facebook)
  • Haji Elias Mohammed al-Khater, killed in an alleged Coalition and Russian airstrike on Deir Ezzor, 7th June 2017. (via Euphrates post)
  • Aftermath of the alleged Coalition and Russian airstrike on Deir Ezzor, 7th June 2017. (via Asharqiya voice facebook)

Geolocation notes

Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 34.96514, 40.5133

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
    Open incident
  • Stated location
    near al Sadda road, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU3815570223
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 10, 2022

  • Jun. 7, 2017, near al Sadda road, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 3104/CS928 37SFU3815570223

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For June 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed two ISIS front-end loaders, two ISIS backhoes, two ISIS fuel storage trailers, an ISIS excavator and a vehicle. Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original
Official source

‘Wednesday 7 June – a Reaper killed two terrorists planting booby-traps in Raqqa, while a Tornado and a Typhoon attacked two Daesh-held buildings south-west of the city… The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh’s current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties. Royal Air Force aircraft have provided close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are now fighting Daesh on the outskirts of Raqqa. In Mosul, our aircraft are continuing to assist Iraqi troops in clearing remaining Daesh positions in and around the city. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over northern Raqqa on Wednesday 7 June. It observed two extremists burying booby-traps along routes into the city. Hellfire missiles were deployed, killing both. Some 45 miles south-west of Raqqa, a mixed pair of Tornado and Typhoon fast jets used a Brimstone missile to hit one Daesh-held building. A Paveway IV guided bomb left a second target on fire.’

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 10
  • (4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–10
  • 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-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (31) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2274

Incident date

June 7, 2017

Location

عقيربات , Akeirbat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.0412099, 37.464692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman and her child – both named – died in an alleged Russian airstrike on Akeirbat, according to local media.

According to the Facebook group ‘Local council of Akeirbat and its countryside’, “\our air raids on the village of Akeirbat by Russian aircraft led to the martyrdom of a woman and her daughter as a result of targeting their house where with a rocket”.

@wesam4naser noted the use of white phosphorous, reporting that the attack occurred at 2.37am local time.

The incident occured at 02:37:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Hiam Ahmed al-Hussein
Adult female killed
Child of Hiam Ahmed al-Hussein
Child killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2275

Incident date

June 7, 2017

Location

جب الجراح غنيمان, Ghneiman village, Jeb al Jrah district, 55 km east of Homs, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.765484, 37.439517 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians died, including a woman and a child, and six other non-combatants were wounded in an airstrike on Ghneiman in Homs, according to local media. Only one source, the Smart News Agency, pointed to Russia as the “likely” culprit; the other reports didn’t apportion blame of this event.

According to the Smart News Agency, “four civilians were killed and six others injured in an air strike on the town of Ghnaiman, 55 km east of the central city of Homs, a local activist told Smart on Wednesday [June 7th].

“The activist added that warplanes, likely to be Russian, bombed the houses of civilians in the village, killing four people, including a woman and a child, and wounding six others with varying injuries. The wounded were taken to eastern Deir al-Zour hospitals.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2277

Incident date

June 8, 2017

Location

حريشة, Harisha, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.005113, 37.491875 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that “warplanes – likely to be Russian – launched a phosphorous bomb attack on the village of Al-Huraisha, near Aqirbat (about 67 km east of Hama), killing three civilians from one family, including a child.”

There were no reports of wounded and no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ 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 specific strikes between June 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2276 CS946a

Incident date

June 8, 2017

Location

عياش , Ayyash, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.42022, 40.05303 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four airstrikes were reported in Ayyash, southwest of Deir Ezzor city, by local media. The sources reported dozens of wounded and that one of the wounded, Thiab al-Rajwan, later died in hospital of the wounds sustained when his house was bombed. Sources were conflicted on who was to blame, with reports pointing to Russia, the Syrian regime and the US-led Coalition.

The Step News Agency said that Russia had carried out four raids on Ayyash, resulting in “dozens of wounded” civilians.

However, RFS Media Office pointed to the Syrian regime.

One source, DCHRS, reported that  Thiab al-Rajan was “killed in indiscriminate shelling by coalition forces.”

In their June 2020 civilian casualty report, 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:

Thiab al-Rajwan
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime 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
    37SEV956201
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020

  • June 8, 2017, in Ayyash, 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. 3107/CS946a 37SEV956201

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For June 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”

In the same report it was mentioned "Additionally, five strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 6 that closed within the last 24 hours," one of them was "Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, one strike destroyed four ISIS oil tanks".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]