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

RS2237

Incident date

May 14, 2017

Location

سوحا, Soha, al Silmiya district, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.000015, 37.401581 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A man and his three year old child were killed and others were wounded  following an airstrike on Soha. Both sources blamed Russia for the airstrike.

According to the Smart News Agency, the vicinity was under the control of ISIS.

Additionally, those injured were in a serious condition and were transferred to hospitals.

There are no other details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • 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 (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 May 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

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

Incident Code

RS2234

Incident date

May 13, 2017

Location

الحويقة, Haweiqa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.342102, 40.14576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and three civilians were killed and seven others were wounded in an airstrike on Haweiqa. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame, with allegations against both the Syrian regime and Russia.

RFS Media Office reported that “two children were killed and two others were wounded when Russian warplanes targeted Al Hawaiqa neighborhood of Deir al-Zour in several raids at dawn today”.

Despite this, Mohamad Fayq Al Khalifa reported that a man was killed. He was named and an image of him was published.

Other reports suggest their house was struck. There are reports that many civilian homes were bombed and destroyed in the raids.

Smart news put the number of injured civilians as high as seven.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yusuf Tha’er al-Tahtouh
Child male killed
Mahmoud Jamil Khalifa al-Askar Abu Musab (Abu Lahoud)
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–7
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

  • Yusuf Tha’er al-Tahtouh, killed in an airstrike on Haweiqa, 13th May 2017. (via @DeirEzzor24)
  • Mahmoud Jamil Khalifa al-Askar Abu Musab (Abu Lahoud), killed in an airstrike on Haweiqa, 13th May 2017. (via Mohamad Fayq Al Khalifa)

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 May 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
    2 – 3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–7
  • 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

RS2235

Incident date

May 13, 2017

Location

حطلة, Hatla, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.34169, 40.19897 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecified number of civilians were killed and wounded in up to six alleged Russian airstrikes on Hatla, according to sources on the grounds. Sources mostly all blamed Russia, except a handful who didn’t identify the culprit.

Women and children were reportedly killed and wounded in the raids.

However, according to the Smart News Agency, there were no deaths, only wounded civilians.

Euphrates reported that Russian cluster bombs caused “destruction of civilian homes and a number of wounded, including children and women.”

Other sources specified there were six raids in total on the vicinity.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (8) [ 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 May 1st – 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2231

Incident date

May 11, 2017

Location

التح, Al-Tah, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.539525, 36.725383 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three children were injured when the remnants of a cluster bomb exploded in Al-Tah, local media said.

Sources reported that the cluster bomb was left from a previous Russian airstrike.

There are no more details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Alaa Abdul Rahman Al Ali
Child from village of Atshan injured
Basma Abdul Rahman Al Ali
Child from village of Atshan injured
Khadija Abdul Rahman Al Ali
Child from village of Atshan injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of the treatment of three injured children from a left over cluster bomb which exploded on 11th Pay 2017, Al Tah. (via Majed Al Yusuf)

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 May 1st - 31st 2017.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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

CS802 RS2230

Incident date

May 11, 2017

Location

مزرعة القادسية, Al Qadissiya, Ar Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.945833, 38.981667 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as three civilians died in an airstrike on Al Qadissiya village – including one adult male – according to local sources. There were reports of multiple strikes on the village. The allegations were against both the Coalition and Russian warplanes. A number of other sources didn’t identify the warplanes responsible.

Only one source – RFSMedaioffice – reported that there was an unspecific number of wounded.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “warplanes believed to belong to the Coalition carried out more than 18 strikes on places in the outskirts of al-Raqqah city and al-Jisr area and other areas in the village of al-Boasi and the farm of Qadisiyah in the western countryside of al-Raqqah.”

However, according to @ThwarAlraqqa, Russia carried out more than 12 raids on the village.

@Sour_News, amongst others, reported that the vicinity was a farm. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Aboud al-Khalif al-Hamid
30 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 man)
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The countryside in Qadisiya where alleged Coalition airstrikes took place on May 11th 2017. (via @saad_alsabr)
  • Aboud al-Khalif al-Hamid, killed in a airstrike on Al Qadissiya farm, 11th May 2017. (via RBSS)
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
    near Al Qadissiya, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV192819
    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
Official source

For May 10th-11th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven vehicles, three fighting positions, an ISIS barge, a VBIED factory, a weapons storage facility; and damaged two ISIS supply routes.” It later added that “Additionally, 13 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on May 10th that closed within the last 24 hours. Near Raqqah, Syria, seven strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, a command and control node, a supply cache, an ISIS staging area, a tactical vehicle, and a vehicle.”
For May 11th-12th. “Near Raqqah, eight strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, three VBIEDs, two ISIS oil storage tanks, two ISIS oil stills, two excavators, a front-end loader, an IED, and an ISIS staging area.” It later added that “Additionally, six strikes were conducted in Syria on May 11th that closed within the last 24 hours…. Near Raqqah, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two VBIEDs, a fighting position, a weapons cache, a vehicle; and damaged two ISIS supply routes and a bridge.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original
Official source

‘Thursday 11 May – Typhoons attacked three targets in eastern Syria, as well as a truck-bomb factory north-west of Raqqa. Tornados also struck six times in Mosul…On Thursday 11 May, a pair of Typhoons, armed with Paveway IVs, destroyed a truck-bomb staging area some fifteen miles north-west of Raqqa, while another pair supported the SDF in eastern Syria, hitting a mortar team and two Daesh-held buildings near Al Ulwah. The same day, two flights of Tornados patrolled over Mosul, using Brimstone missiles against two Daesh positions very close to Iraqi troops. A further Paveway IV eliminated a mortar in a courtyard, and three more Paveways cratered roads along which Daesh might have tried to move truck-bombs along.’

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 man)
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2229

Incident date

May 11, 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

Three or four civilians were killed – three from one family – and others were wounded, when an airstrike hit a residential neighbourhood, farm and water-tank in Akeirbat, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Some sources such as Baladi news, blamed Russian warplanes for the airstrikes, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights pointed to the “Syrian-Russian alliance”. Many other sources didn’t identify the “military aircraft” responsible.

Baladi News and other sources reported that a man, his wife and child were killed in the airstrike on the vicinity. Allegedly, the warplanes struck the residential neighbourhood including a farm and later moved on to target the water tank in the neighbourhood, which led to complete destruction of the structure, with no casualties.

There were no reports with specific numbers of injured civilians, however the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that those who were injured were in a serious condition.

Other sources such as Syrian-mirror put the death toll at four. They also reported there was “material damage to public and private property”. 

SOHR noted that the vicinity was under the control of ISIS.

Rfsmediaoffice specified that Russian RPG was used in the raid. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ 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 May 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
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2227

Incident date

May 10, 2017

Location

سمومة, Samouma, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.933019, 38.094621 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 11 and 14 civilians were killed – from two families – and others were wounded, following an airstrike on Samouma, Aleppo, according to local media. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame for the strikes. Some sources attributed blame to the Syrian regime, including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however most blamed Russia.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights specified that the Syrian regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on the vicinity. Local journalist, Ahmad al Shibli, however reported Russian warplanes were responsible.

Sources reported that the victims were from the family of Abdel Wahab Al-Ahmad and the family of Abdul Aziz Jassim Al-Mahmoud, as well as two other young people – according to Step News.

The bombing consisted of seven raids, and destroyed as many as five houses.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Abdel Aziz Jassem al Mahmoud
55 years old male killed
Marwa al Mahmoud
16 years old female killed
Da’aa al Mahmoud
14 years old female killed
Louay al Mahmoud
12 years old male killed
Tarek al Mahmoud
9 years old male killed

Family members (7)

Zahra al Makiz
Age unknown female killed
Haifaa al Mahmoud
16 years old female killed
Bara’a al Mahmoud
14 years old female killed
Hiba
6 years old female killed
Buthaina
6 years old female killed
Hanan
4 years old female killed
Manal
3 years old female killed

The victims were named as:

Zakour Mustapha al Midhi
37 years old killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 14
  • (6–10 children1 woman)
  • 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]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The list of casualties in the aftermath of the airstrike on Samouma, 10th May 2017. (via Ahmad al Shibli)

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 May 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
    11 – 14
  • (6–10 children1 woman)
  • 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

RS2228

Incident date

May 10, 2017

Location

دير الزور, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3353632, 40.1380348 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and five people died – indulging one adult male – following an airstrike on Dier Ezzor. Others were also wounded, however there were no specific numbers reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Some attributed blame to the Syrian regime, however most blamed Russia.

DeirEzzor24 was the only source to report that five civilians were killed when a warplane struck a civilian home. They did however identify the named victim in conjunction with other sources. 

Sources mentioned that “he is the third brother of two martyrs killed before -Karim and Mohammad.” However, this was likely not in this raid. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Subhi Hassan al-Kardoush
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • 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]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Subhi Hassan al-Kardoush, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Dier Ezzor, 10th May 2017. (via Mahmoud Haj Kassem)
  • Subhi Hassan al-Kardoush, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Dier Ezzor, 10th May 2017. (via Free Dier Ezzor)
  • Subhi Hassan al-Kardoush, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Dier Ezzor, 10th May 2017. (via Shaheed.DeirEzZoar.Syria1)

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 May 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
    1 – 5
  • (1 man)
  • 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]