Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

RS3256

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

مركز 103 للدفاع المدني, civil defence center no :103, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.525278, 36.353056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One member of the White Helmets was killed and three more injured in an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on the civil defence centre 103 in Damascus, local media reported.

Douma.Revolution and @SiegeWatch  reported that one civil defence volunteer, Rifat Idris, was killed, and three more were wounded.

The airstrikes that struck the Civil Defence Centre resulted in the destruction of the centre completely, and it was left out of service. The centre supported the towns of Hazza, Zamalka, and Ein Tarma.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Rifat Idris
Adult male Member of the White Helmets killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Rifat Idris, killed in airstrikes on a Civil Defence Centre in Damascus, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)

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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3247

Incident date

March 13, 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

Four to eight civilians were killed and others were wounded in a suspected napalm attack on the Grand Mosque in Arbeen, local media reported. Sources attributed the blame to Russian and Syrian regime raids.

Sources reported that helicopters threw as many as 15 explosive barrels on the residential neighbourhood, leaving civilians both dead and wounded.

Syria Noor reported that “The warplanes targeted the Grand Mosque – in the city of Arbeen in the countryside of Damascus – with several air raids, which led to the burning and causing massive destruction in the construction.The information office in Arbeen said that air raids targeted the mosque with several rockets loaded with Napalm incendiary material, which was banned internationally, which led to the damage to a large extent and the outbreak of fire in the area.

They also added that the entire mosque was burned down and its roof and walls were destroyed.

ZamanAlwasl said that “15 barrels of explosives” were dropped, while Step added that “phosphorus and cluster bombs” were also used.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rightsm “warplanes launched 17 raids on areas in the city of Arbeen, in conjunction with helicopters dropping at least 15 barrels of explosives”.

Sources published extremely graphic images of charred bodies.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adnan Zaghloul
Adult male killed
Anas Al Shahrour
Adult male killed
Abdel Aziz Sheikh Qweider
Adult male killed
Omar al-Khatib
Age unknown male killed
Sobhi al-Margali
Adult female killed
Abdul Rahman Al-Qallash
Age unknown male killed
Samir Zaghloul
Age unknown male killed
Hani Salem
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (1 woman4–7 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A victim of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via Shohada`a Arbeen al Ahrar)
  • A victim of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via Shohada`a Arbeen al Ahrar)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A victim of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via Shohada`a Arbeen al Ahrar)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A victim of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via Shohada`a Arbeen al Ahrar)
  • A mosque in the aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @haifaa_ahmad1)
  • A mosque in the aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @haifaa_ahmad1)
  • A mosque in the aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @haifaa_ahmad1)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The charred limb of a victim in he aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The charred limb of a victim in he aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The charred limb of a victim in he aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)
  • An injured child in the aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)
  • An injured child in the aftermath of airstrikes on Arbeen, 13th March 2018. (via @SiegeWatch)

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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (1 woman4–7 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM121

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

Vicinity of Jamecco and Singulle, Middle Shabelle, Somalia

Geolocation

3.05, 45.48056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US airstrike killed 12 al Shabaab militants and wounded another 15 members as Jamecco, Middle Shabelle was struck, AFRICOM reported.

The US carried had carried out ten strikes since the start of the year, a US Africa Command spokesperson confirmed to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) at the start of April, which had recorded only six strikes based on press releases from the Command.

The spokesperson provided details on the strikes which BIJ had not recorded. One of these took place on March 13th, and targeted al Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Jamecco. “We assess at this time that 12 terrorists were killed in this strike and that 15 were wounded,” the spokesperson said. As of now, there are no reports of civilian harm.

CNN did however report the event at the time, with defense correspondent Ryan Browne noting that “A US official tells CNN that over 20 al-Shabaab fighters were targeted, potentially making Tuesday’s strike one of the bigger strikes conducted by US forces in Somalia.”

In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM  confirmed it had struck on this date what it says were “al-Shabaab Fighters”, in the vicinity of Singulle, Somalia.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    12
  • Belligerents reported injured
    15

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the vicinity of the village Jamecco for which the coordinates are: 3.05, 45.48056. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces

Via email from Africom to BIJ, April 4th, 2018:

“U.S. forces conducted an airstrike on March 13 targeting al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Jamecco, Somalia. We assess at this time that 12 terrorists were killed in this strike and that 15 were wounded.”

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    12
  • Belligerents reported injured
    15

Incident Code

RS3258

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

الريحان, Al Rayhan, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.573718, 36.444291 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported that “dozens were injured” due to “the bombing campaign of the Russian and Al Assad forces” in Al Rayhan.

According to the Shaam News Network, “The bombing campaign by Russian and Al Assad forces continued on civilian houses in Al-Ghouta, where four people were killed in the city of Saqba, five were killed in Harasta, three were killed in the town of Ein Tirma, and there were two martyrs in Kafar Batna. Additionally, dozens were injured in Harasta, Douma, Jisreen, Hamouriya , Zamalka Arbeen, Hazza and al-Rayhan.”

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (1) [ 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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3257

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

دوما, Douma, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Dozens of civilians were injured in airstrikes and shelling by rockets on Douma, local media reported. Sources attributed the blame to both Russia and the Syrian regime.

According to Yaqeen News, “Russia and Assad renewed raids on the cities and towns of Eastern Ghouta on Tuesday [March 13th]…warplanes launched air raids on cities and towns, including Douma, Harasta, Arbin, Saqba and Hamouriyeh, while artillery targeted the town of Kafarbetna, causing dozens of casualties, mostly civilians.”

Similarly, the Shaam News network reported that “dozens were injured in Harasta, Douma, Jisreen,Hamouriya , Zamalka, Arbeen, Hazza, and al-Rayhan”.

@SYR_REV_NEWS noted that rockets “targeted” Douma. Rocket shelling targets Douma city

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (4) [ 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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3248

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

كفر بطنا, Kafar Batna, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.511853, 36.372857 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

“Many civilians”  civilians were injured in airstrikes on Kafar Batna, local media reported. Sources attributed the blame to both Russia and the Syrian regime.

Cluster bombs and phosphorus rockets were reportedly used in the raids.

According ZamanAlwasl, “many civilians, including women and children, were injured in a bombing neighborhoods by cluster bombs”.

Syria Noor reported: “The cities and towns of Jisreen, Kafrabatna, Arbeen and Zamalka were hit by aerial bombardments with cluster and phosphorus rockets.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • 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 (8) [ 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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr156

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

الهدي, Al Hudhi, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

16.30299, 47.24515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US strike took place in Hadhramout governorate on March 13th 2018, a US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal.

Two sources, @yemencurrent and @Dr_E_Kendall, reported at the time that a US drone strike had killed two alleged AQAP militants in Al Hudhi, in Hadhramout governorate, according to a pro-AQAP feed. The two killed were named as Abu Mar’i al-Sharuri and Khabbab al-Sharuri.

There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A pro-AQAP Telegram feed reported the strike (@yemencurrent, March 15th 2018)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Al Hudhi (الهدي) without specifying whether it is an area or a settlement. One possible location for this incident is within the vicinity of the Hudhi (هدي) hill, for which the generic coordinates are: 16.30299, 47.24515. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

In a major move toward transparency, US Central Command (CENTCOM) provided details to FDD’s Long War Journal on US air strikes against Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen. Since early 2017, the military previously provided little information on the Yemen air campaign, typically providing only an aggregate number and limited detail on high-value target strikes.

In an email to LWJ, CENTCOM’s Major Josh T. Jacques disclosed the dates and locations of the last five months of strikes in Yemen. The information revealed that since the beginning of 2018, the US campaign against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen has focused on three governorates: Hadramout (eight strikes), Al Bayda (17), and Shabwa (three), demonstrating the eastern reach of the terrorist group.

Last year’s publicized strikes were concentrated in the central governorates of Al Bayda and Marib.

Location of US air strikes against AQAP and the Islamic State in 2018:

– Jan. 2018: Ten total strikes. The US conducted 8 strikes against AQAP in Bayda on Jan. 1, 3, 9, 12, 13, 20, 25, and 29. An additional strike against AQAP in Shabwah occurred on Jan. 26. An additional strike against the Islamic State occurred on Jan. 12 in Bayda.

– Feb. 2018: Six total strikes, all in Al Bayda governorate. Strikes occurred on Feb. 7, 11, 12, 16, and 24 (two strikes were conducted on Feb. 24).

– Mar. 2018: Seven total strikes, six of which occurred in Hadramout. Strikes occurred on Mar. 4 (two strikes), 5, 7, 8, and 13. An additional strike in Bayda occurred on March 29. [AQAP’s apparent entrenchment in eastern Yemen is concerning. In addition to the concentration of strikes in Hadramout, CENTCOM previously disclosed that AQAP operated training camps in the governorate as recently as April 2018, when they were targeted by American strikes.]

– Apr. 2018: Four total strikes, one each in Shabwah (April 26) and Al Bayda (April 23), and two in Hadramout (both on April 11).

– May 2018: One strike, in Shabwah on May 14.

– Jun. 2018: No strikes to date.

The US military has stepped up its counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen as well as the Islamic State since President Trump took office in 2017. Last year, the US launched 131 strikes (125 against AQAP and six against the Islamic State), nearly tripling the previous yearly high of 44 strikes in 2016.

At the current pace, the US will fall far short of that mark; there have been 28 strikes reported by CENTCOM in Yemen in the first five months of 2018.

This counterterrorism campaign has targeted AQAP’s infrastructure, including its training camps and media operations, which serve as a hub for al Qaeda’s global communications. The US has killed several mid-level AQAP leaders and media officials in its air campaign.

Despite suffering setbacks after seizing large areas of southern and central Yemen between 2015-2016, AQAP remains a persistent threat to both the embattled Yemeni government and US interests worldwide. AQAP still controls remote rural areas in Yemen and operates training camps. The group’s master bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, who has engineered several bombs which have evaded airport security, remains one of the most wanted jihadists on the planet.

Note: This article was updated to include the dates and locations of Jan. 2018 strikes.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS269

Incident date

March 13, 2018

Location

اشرفية, Ashrafieh neighbourhood, Afrin city, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.511389, 36.864167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was critically wounded in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Ashrafieh neighbourhood, Afrin city.

According to IC Afrin Resistance, the Turkish occupation army planes bombed al-Ashrafieh neighbourhood in the centre of Afrin city at noon today [March 13th], seriously wounding the back of a 14-year-old boy. The child was taken to a hospital in Afrin.

Althawra reported that “various types of weapons” were used in the city centre, and not only was a 14 year old child wounded, but there was extensive damage to homes, shops and other local infrastructure.

Leilanazzar said that he was in a critical condition. Hawar and ANF added that Izzat Hussain’s condition was unstable and that he was admitted to intensive care. 

The incident occured around midday.

The victims were named as:

Izzat Hussain
14 years old male injured back injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A video shows the moment an alleged Turkish airstrike targeted Ashrafiyah in Afrin, 13th March 2018. (via, YPJ relation office)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image shows a child, injured followed an alleged Turkish airstrike on Ashrafieh neighbourhood, Afrin city, 13th March 2018. (source: Hawar news)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A picture shows a child being treated after the alleged Turkish airstrike on Ashrafieh neighbourhood, Afrin city, 13th March 2018. (source: Hawar news)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Ashrafieh neighbourhood, Afrin city (اشرفية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.511389, 36.864167. 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
    1
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]