Up to 52 civilians were reported killed and 100 others, many of whom are in critical situation, were injured in alleged Russian forces airstrikes on Zardana village in Idlib, Syria, on June 7th, 2018, according to local sources. Among those killed are up to 11 women and 11 children and a health worker. Most victims belong to seven different families.
Local sources also said some of those seriously wounded were taken to Bab Al Hawa border hospital, and hospitals in Turkey for treatment. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), one of the civilians wounded in Zardana died 14 days after he got injured.
Orient TV reported that Russian warplanes attacked and destroyed an entire neighborhood in the town, including a clinic, a mosque (Sa’ed bin Mouath) and several buildings, noting that the targeted area civilian without any military presence. The TV channel also reported from White Helmets that one of their volunteers, Ali Hassan Baradei, was killed in the attack, and four other volunteers were seriously injured.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that “Ali Hasan Barad’i, a civil defense member from Kelli town in Idlib, was killed as warplanes believed to be Russian fired missiles near Sa’ed bin Mouath Mosque in Zardana village in Idlib, while he was pulling out victims of a massacre committed by the same warplanes in the village, on June 7th, 2018.”
Local sources said that Russian warplanes targeted a residential area with eight raids and that it used a ‘double-tap’ airstrike what caused a huge number of deaths among civilians. The first raid killed about 28 civilians and when White Helmets arrived, another raid targeted the area, resulting in more victims, and that cluster rockets were used in the attack, according to Step News. Witnesses said that the raids caused a 10 meter crater in the ground, according to SMART Agency.
Syrian Civil Defense said that six of its health centers took part in rescuing civilians and they are their branches in Ma’arat Misrin, Kelli, Sarmin, Idlib, Binnish and western Idlib branch.
According to the reports, the attack comes after a de-escalation agreement was in place. Shaam Network said “observatories confirmed that the aircraft that targeted the town of Zardana took off with evening hours from Hmeimim base, and that it was a well-known Russian aircraft in the area that had flown for dozens of times and bombed Idlib countryside.” Shaam continues: “Idlib activists also followed the movement of warplanes on the area and monitored the bombing of Russian warplanes of Zardana twice, the first one caused the first massacre, then it was followed by the bombing of the Russian warplanes for the second time during the presence of rescue and civil defense teams, which caused an increase in the number of wounded and martyrs.”
Also according to SMART Agency “Observers deployed in the area, which are responsible for monitoring the movement of warplanes, said that Russian warplanes took off from the base of Hameimim and flew over the cities and towns of Zammar, Atarb, Ibin, Tal Toukan, Ttnaz and Jabal Zawiya, and then headed northeast, towards the area coinciding with the time of the massacre.”
However, Russia denied responsibility for the attack, claiming that it was a result of fighting between military factions in Idlib. Arabic Sputnik (arm of the Russian government) quoted the Russian Ministry of Defense saying that “severe fighting took place in this area between large units of the Jabhat al-Nusra Front and the Army of Islam, using heavy artillery.”
According to BBC, the UN Secretary General called for an investigation into the deadly airstrikes on Zardana. “In a statement released on Sunday night, Mr Guterres called for a full investigation into the attacks, especially allegations that there was also a second strike targeting first respondents, to establish accountability.”
Families and friends of the victims mourned them on social media. Abd Al Hei wrote to Ibrahim Muhammad Yassouf: “With full sadness and sorrow, and with full submission to God’s will, I inform you about the martyrdom of my dear brother, Ibrahim Muhammad Yassouf, as a result of the hateful raids that targeted the village of Zardana.”
Abd Al Aziz Ammon also posted an image of the victim Khaled Soufan saying “I am asking you, is this a terrorist, or a the terrorist is who killed him? May God have mercy on you and make your place in paradise, Khaled.”
Mhamad Kadour mourned his loss of his friend saying “May God have mercy on you, my brother Abd Alqader Amoun.”
The incident occured in the afternoon.
