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

R4328

Incident date

June 23, 2021

Location

مقبرة افس, Afes Cemetery, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.90606, 36.807296 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and five civilians, including one to two children, were killed and five to eight others were injured in alleged Russian or regime airstrikes and/or artillery strikes on Afes on June 23, 2021.

According to @abazeid89, “artillery shelling (regime / Russia) targeted the cemetery of the town of Afs in Idlib during a funeral and burial of a deceased, the initial outcome speaks of four martyrs”. @Jamil_Alhasaan added that the funeral was for “one of the deceased by the Iranian militias stationed in Saraqib” and JisrTV clarifies that the funeral was for a woman.

@syr_television gave the count that “two killed in the initial outcome of the bombing”. The majority of other sources, including @OrientNews, reported that three to four civilians were killed and Resala Post published that “5 martyrs and 6 injuries rose as a preliminary and non-final outcome”. Of four killed, @zelal_abo_adnan identified that two of them are children.

@OrientNews also reported that civilians were injured but did not specify how many. Syrian Civil Defense posted that five civilians were injured, with one of them in critical condition. The highest number was given by Zaman Al Wasl, which reported that eight civilians were wounded in addition to the three civilians killed.

A tweet from @anasanas84 named the victims killed: Rowad Ahmed Al-Hammadin (child) and Muhammad Nuri al-Musa. @anasanas84 later added “the death of the young man, Abdullah Al-Hamadin, as a result of his injuries”.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible, with @abazeid89 and @mohmad_rasheed blaming both Russia and the regime for the strikes while @humam_isa attributed the strikes to the regime.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Rowad Ahmed Al-Hammadin
10 years old male killed
Abdullah Al-Hamadin
male Older brother of Rowad killed

The victims were named as:

Muhammad Nuri al-Musa
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1–2 children2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–8
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (41) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (18) [ collapse]

  • Image of Muhammad Nuri al-Musa, killed in strikes on Afes on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Image of Rowad Ahmed Al-Hammadin, killed in strikes on Afes on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @humam_isa)
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @mohmad_rasheed)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of one of the victims of the strikes on Afes, killed on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @Sharif199629)
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. Blood can be seen on one of the graves from a victim of the strikes. (Image posted by @fawaz_jwaid)
  • Image of one of the victims of the strikes on Afes, killed on June 23, 2021. (Image posted by @rdwanalshhwan)
  • Dead and wounded as regime forces bombard a funeral procession in the town of Afs
  • Assad forces target a cemetery during the burial of a dead person in the village of Efes, near the city of Saraqib
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. A crater in the earth can be seen from the strikes. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. Blood can be seen on one of the graves from a victim of the strikes. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Image of Afes cemetery, which was struck by artillery during a funeral for a villager on June 23, 2021. Blood can be seen on one of the graves from a victim of the strikes. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the cemetery of Afes (مقبرة افس), for which the exact coordinates are: 35.90606, 36.807296.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1–2 children2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–8
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (41) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4329

Incident date

June 24, 2021

Location

أريحا, Arihah, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between one and two civilians, including an elderly man, were injured in alleged Russian or regime airstrikes and/or artillery on the city of Arihah on June 24, 2021.

Baladi News reported that “the regime forces bombed with heavy artillery the city of Ariha, which led to the injury of an elderly man who was treated by civil defense teams”. @fawaz_jwaid posted an image of an older man receiving medical treatment at a facility.

Syria TV also provided information on the incident, that “two civilians were injured” from the “regime forces targeting residential places”.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the airstrikes. Multiple sources attributed the airstrikes and artillery shelling to the regime and @Step_Agency identified  Russian reconnaissance planes as flying in conjunction. However, @mzmgr941 blamed  Russia for the missile bombing and the civilian casualties that resulted and @OGNreports reported that “Syrian regime and Russian occupation forces targeted the densely populated city of #Ariha”.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (13) [ collapse]

  • According to @jisrtv, "Russian or Regime forces bombard with heavy artillery the northern outskirts of the city of Ariha."
  • Russian or Regime forces bombard with heavy artillery the northern outskirts of the city of Ariha. (Image posted by @abo_aljod84)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah on June 24th, 2021. (Image posted by @mzmgr941)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah on June 24th, 2021. Photography: Ahmed Abu Adnan (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah and the surrounding area on June 24th, 2021. Photography: Ahmed Abu Adnan (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah and the surrounding area on June 24th, 2021. Photography: Ahmed Abu Adnan (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah on June 24th, 2021. Photography: Ahmed Abu Adnan (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah on June 24th, 2021. Photography: Ahmed Abu Adnan (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Image of an older man receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in strikes on Arihah on June 24, 2021. (Image posted by @fawaz_jwaid)
  • Damage caused by the strikes on Arihah and White Helmets approaching the buildings to help those injured on June 24th, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Russian or Regime forces bombard with heavy artillery the northern outskirts of the city of Ariha. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • Russian or Regime forces bombard with heavy artillery the northern outskirts of the city of Ariha. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)

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
    1–2
  • 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 (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4330

Incident date

June 25, 2021

Location

قميناس, Quminas, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between one and two civilians were injured in alleged Russian or regime airstrikes on the town of Quminas on June 25, 2021.

@ShahbaPress reported that “two civilians were wounded in artillery shelling by the Assad forces and Russia”. The majority of other sources also pointed to two civilians being injured in the strikes.

A tweet from @dbOFRYEU7XqMrTc identified one civilian as being injured and shared details that the strikes occurred “on the agricultural land surrounding the village of Qaminas”. @mzmgr941 located the bombing as occurring “on the road between #Idlib and #Qminas”.

Sources were conflicted as to whether Russia or the regime were responsible, with @mzmgr941 attributing the strikes to Russia while @jocomTV blamed the regime.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • White Helmets rescue an injured civilian following strikes on the town of Qaminas on June 25, 2021. (Image posted by @ibrahim78197182)
  • White Helmets inspect the damage caused by airstrikes on Qaminas on June 25, 2021. (Image posted by @syria55s)

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military 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
    1–2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4331

Incident date

June 27, 2021

Location

الفطيرة, Al Fatira, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.6102782, 36.4810681 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a woman, was killed and others were wounded in alleged Russian or regime airstrikes and/or artillery strikes on June 27, 2021.

A tweet from @SILSTY_10 alleges that there were “dead and wounded in the ranks of the militants in missile strikes carried out by the Syrian army on their positions in the town of Al-Fatirah”.

However, Shaam News reported that the strikes “led to the death of a woman martyr in Al-Fateera”.

Sources were conflicted as to whether Russia or the regime were responsible for the strikes, with the majority of sources blaming the regime while @al_rahman6 attributed the strikes to Russia.

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
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Fatira (الفطيرة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.6102782, 36.4810681. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4332

Incident date

July 2, 2021

Location

أريحا, Ariha, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.81374, 36.60964 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least three civilians were injured in alleged Russian or regime strikes on the city of Ariha the evening of July 2, 2021.

According to Syrian Civil Defense, “3 civilians were injured, in a missile shelling by the regime forces targeting the northern entrance to the city of Ariha this evening, Friday, July 2nd”. Various other sources, including @IdlibPlus, also identified three civilians as being injured.

Ariha Today posted on Facebook the names of the three civilians injured: Ghassan Musab Al-Saleh from Khan Sheikhoun (M), Refaat Hussam Al-Bakri from Khan Sheikhoun (M) and Mohamed Zakwan from Ghandora Nahlia (M). 

The majority of sources attributed the strikes to regime forces. However, a tweet from @Almohrar1 referred to “Russian occupation militias” as carrying out the strikes in addition to @ilias90sam mentioning “#SyAF & maybe #RuAF” involved in the bombardment. Both airstrikes and artillery were reported as carried out on Ariha.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Ghassan Musab Al-Saleh غسان مصعب الصالح
Age unknown male injured
Refaat Hussam Al-Bakri رفعات حسام البكري
Age unknown male injured
Mohamed Zakwan محمد زكوان
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Image of the damage to a vehicle caused by strikes on Ariha the evening July 2, 2021 and Civil Defense members inspecting the damage. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • One of the civilians injured in strikes on Ariha the evening July 2, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Image of the damage to a vehicle caused by strikes on Ariha the evening July 2, 2021 and Civil Defense members inspecting the damage. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ariha (أريحا), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.81374, 36.60964. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
    3
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4333

Incident date

July 3, 2021

Location

ابلين, Iblin, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least five civilians, including a woman and three to four children, were killed and three to four other civilians, including a woman and two children, were injured in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported that “the regime forces and Russia committed a massacre in the village of Iblin, killing 5 civilians (a man, his wife and three of their children) and wounding a woman and two children, all of them from the same family”. Various other sources also reported that five civilians were killed, with Enab Baladi identifying “that a man and his four children were killed”.

Step News Agency indicated that four civilians were “seriously” wounded in the strikes and identified laser-guided missiles as being used.

The names of those killed were provided by @AbuWael_Daraya: Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi (M husband), Souad Sobhi Al-Asi (W the wife), Ibrahim Sobhi Al-Asi (M child), Saad Sobhi Al-Asi (M child), Banan Sobhi Al-Asi (M child).

Etlif News reported that the same family lost “11 of its relatives as a result of similar bombing” a few days ago, “which indicates that the area was deliberately targeted”. Violet Syria also added that “five members of his family were martyred as a result of the regime’s bombing of a family’s mourning gathering in their village of Iblin on the tenth of June 2021”.

According to @thawrat111, “Sobhi Al-Assi is a volunteer in the medical team “Violet Organization” and a tweet from @org_violet commemorates his life. @SCDKutini gave specific information on his role, “[working] at the community treatment center to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Jericho and at the Abilene Primary Health Care Center.” Violet Syria also posted on their website that “he is a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Sharia and Law at Idlib University, and he participated yesterday, Friday, in the human chain on Bab Al-Hawa Road within Advocacy, calling for his stance to save the lives of civilians in northwest Syria and not to cut off their lifeline.”

A tweet from @ibrahim78197182 added that the family was asleep when the strikes occurred and were killed in their sleep while @org_violet reported that Sobhi was killed “while he was on his way to work”.

@HalabTodayTV identified that “residential areas” within the town were shelled by artillery.  A video posted by @Jamil_Alhasaan shows the extensive damage to the house caused by the strikes and the backyard of the house that the children that were killed used to play in. The director of the Unified Observatory, Ammar Abu al-Hassan, told Enab Baladi News that none of these areas bombarded had a military presence.

The majority of sources attributed the strikes to Russia and Syrian Network for Human Rights provided an image of the shells that they identified as Russian that struck the home and injured members of the family. However, @HalabTodayTV blamed the regime for the strikes and referred to them as “artillery” strikes.

UNICEF condemned the attacks, including this one, that resulted in children being killed and called “for the protection of all children and strongly urge those fighting to refrain from further attacks”.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi صبحي عبدالحميد العاصي
Adult male Husband of Souad Sobhi Al-Asi killed
Souad Sobhi Al-Asi سعاد صبحي العاصي
Adult female Wife of Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi killed
Ibrahim Sobhi Al-Asi إبراهيم صبحي العاصي
Child male Child of Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi and Souad Sobhi Al-Asi killed
Saad Sobhi Al-Asi سعد صبحي العاصي
Child male Child of Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi and Souad Sobhi Al-Asi killed
Banan Sobhi Al-Asi بنان صبحي العاصي
Child male Child of Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Asi and Souad Sobhi Al-Asi killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3–4 children1 woman1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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 (35) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (24) [ collapse]

  • Image of the funeral held for a family that was killed in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @mhmdfaisel)
  • White Helmets and other civilians sorting through the rubble caused by strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @AbuWael_Daraya)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of Sobhi Al-Assi, a volunteer with the Violet Organization, was killed along with his wife and three children in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @thawrat111)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of one of the children killed in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @Tb7FgaFJwxqQlKu)
  • Damage to a home caused by strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @ibrahim78197182)
  • Images of the civilians killed and injured in strikes on the the villages of Jabal Al-Zawiya on July 3, 2021. (Images posted by @abdalazezketaz)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of the civilians killed and injured in strikes on the the villages of Jabal Al-Zawiya on July 3, 2021. (Images posted by @abdalazezketaz)
  • Images of the civilians killed and injured in strikes on the the villages of Jabal Al-Zawiya on July 3, 2021. (Images posted by @abdalazezketaz)
  • "With great sadness and sorrow, #Violet_Organization mourns the martyrdom of Sobhi Abdel Hamid Al-Assi, his wife and children, as a result of the bombing that targeted his house in Jabal Al-Zawiya while he was on his way to work, this morning, Saturday 03.07.2021." (Image posted by @org_violet)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of one of the children injured in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @fattumabdulfat1)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of one of the civilians killed in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @firas_alkhalifa)
  • Image of Sobhi Al-Assi, a volunteer with the Violet Organization, was killed along with his wife and three children in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @firas_alkhalifa)
  • Image of Sobhi Al-Assi, a volunteer with the Violet Organization, was killed along with his wife and three children in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @firas_alkhalifa)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of Sobhi Al-Assi, a volunteer with the Violet Organization, was killed along with his wife and three children in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @SCDKutini)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic images of the children injured in strikes on "the villages of #Abilene and #Billion in Jabal Al-Zawiya" posted by @voicenorth1

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic images of the children injured in strikes on "the villages of #Abilene and #Billion in Jabal Al-Zawiya" posted by @voicenorth1

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • Image of the funeral held for a family that was killed in strikes on Iblin the morning of July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)
  • Remnants of a shell identified to be Russian that was part of the attack on Iblin on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Network for Human Rights)

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
    5
  • (3–4 children1 woman1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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 (35) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4334

Incident date

July 3, 2021

Location

بليون, Belion, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians – two girls – were killed and one to two other civilians, including a woman and a Civil Defense member, were injured in alleged Russian or regime strikes on the town of Belion on July 3, 2021.

According to @Sy24ria, the bombing of the town of Belion resulted in “the killing of two girls and the injury of their father”. The father mentioned is a Civil Defense worker and the two girls killed were his daughters. An image posted by Syrian Civil Defense shows one of the son’s, Muhammad, hugging his father after he escaped from under the rubble.

A tweet from @fromidlib identified the Civil Defense worker as Omar Al-Omar and added that his two daughters were killed and he and his wife were injured in their home. Ali Suliman named the daughters killed as Iman Omar Al-Omar, 14 years old, and her younger sister Nour Omar Al-Omar.

@mahmoodtalha22 reported that what occurred was a “double bombing of the regime forces targeting the Civil Defense and civilians while they were rescuing civilians in the town of Balion”. A video posted by @syriapostnew1 shows Civil Defense members rushing to the scene when another strike occurs that knocks them over.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the strikes, with Syrian Network for Human Rights attributing the casualties to regime artillery strikes while @syriapostnew1 blamed Russia.

UNICEF condemned the attacks, including this one, that resulted in children being killed and called “for the protection of all children and strongly urge those fighting to refrain from further attacks”.

Geolocation for this incident was completed by @obretix.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Omar Al-Omar
Adult male injured
Wife of Omar Al-Omar
female injured
Nour Omar Al-Omar
Child female killed
Iman Omar Al-Omar
Child female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • "Muhammad came out from under the rubble and ran towards his father, who he thought had died with his brothers, and hugged him while they were crying, and his two daughters, Iman and Noor, had passed away." (Image posted by @ala_hacioglu)
  • Funeral for the victims of strikes on Belion on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @Gurbtwatan)
  • A Civil Defense worker cries at the funeral of his two daughters, who were killed in strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @Yypnp1rHaJZ1YRZ)
  • Rubble of buildings caused by strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)
  • Rubble of buildings caused by strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @Almohrar1)
  • According to a post from Ali Suliman via Facebook, "the child martyr Iman Omar Al-Omar, 14 years old, was killed by shelling of the Assad regime forces this morning, Saturday, in her town, and her younger sister, Nour Omar Al-Omar, rose with her."
  • Image of Nour Al Omar, who was killed in strikes on Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Hasan Al Saaed via Facebook)
  • A Civil Defense worker cries at the funeral of his two daughters, who were killed in strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • A Civil Defense worker cries at the funeral of his two daughters, who were killed in strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • A Civil Defense worker cries at the funeral of his two daughters, who were killed in strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • A Civil Defense worker cries at the funeral of his two daughters, who were killed in strikes on the town of Belioun on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Image of the home of Omar Al Omar and his family, which was destroyed in strikes on Belioun on July 3, 2021 and resulted in the death of two of his daughters. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • "The people of Balion village perform the funeral prayer for the martyrs near the wall of the Turkish point in the area. Photography: Ammar Khatib" (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)

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
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4335

Incident date

July 3, 2021

Location

بلشون, Balshoun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.728056, 36.535556 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one child was killed and five other civilians, including a pregnant woman, another woman, and two children, were injured, in addition to the killing of the pregnant woman’s fetus, from alleged Russian or regime strikes on the town of Balshon on the morning of July 3, 2021.

According to Syrian Civil Defense, “a child and a fetus were killed after his pregnant mother was injured in the village of Balshon” and the sibling of the fetus that was killed was named Hassan [Hael Ajaj]. In addition, “4 civilians (a man, a woman and two children), all from the same family, were wounded in artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia that targeted their house this morning.”

Syrian Network for Human Rights identified the name of the pregnant woman who was injured as Nouriyah Hatem Harmoush.

@zelal_abo_adnan tweeted about “the death of the child, Rital Hael Ajaj, after being injured this morning in the town of Balshon in Jabal Al-Zawiya. Note that her brother was also killed hours ago.” This indicates that the named child was actually the fetus that was killed in the pregnant woman’s womb – @anasanas84 specifically reports that “Assad and Russia’s missiles killed her before her mother gave birth to her. A girl was killed in her mother’s womb”. However, @Gurbtwatan tweeted that “this baby was in her mother’s womb and died two hours after her birth”.

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the strikes, with @IbnAlarabi15 referring to “#Putin’s laser-guided missiles” as killing the civilians in Balshon while @HalabTodayTV blamed the regime.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Nouriyah Hatem Harmoush
Adult female pregnant Mother of the fetus Rital Hael Ajaj that was killed in her womb injured
Hassan Hael Ajaj
Child male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of the fetus Rital Hayel Ajaj, killed in her mothers womb during strikes on Balshon on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by @anasanas84)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • Image of Hassan [Hael Ajaj], killed in strikes on the town of Balshon on July 3, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    "A child, named as Hasan Hayel Ajaj, and Nouriyah Hatem Harmoush’s unborn baby were killed while other civilians were injured on July 3, 2021, when a home in the east of Balshoun village in Jabal al Zaweya in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate was hit by a missile." (Image provided by Syrian Network for Human Rights)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Balshoun (بلشون), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.728056, 36.535556. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]