Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R1672

Incident date

November 23, 2016

Location

جاسم, Jassem, Dara'a, Syria

Geolocation

32.991344, 36.060136 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported about a major incident in the city of Jassem, Dara’a, that reportedly killed up to nine civilians, including children and women, and wounded between two and 20. Several sources described the incident as a “massacre”.

Local reports varied, spanning between five to nine reported civilian casualties, while most said that five were killed.  For example, Step News reported that “five civilians were killed in an initial toll and others were wounded in the ranks of civilians, including women and children”. Meanwhile, Qasioun News reported that “The Russian fighter jets committed a massacre as a result of air raids on residential areas in the city of Jassim in the Jaidur area in the northern Daraa countryside, resulting in 7 civilian deaths and dozens of injuries, some of whom were seriously wounded and transferred to nearby medical points”,

Eleven of the sources, hence the majority, attributed the incident to Russia. These were among others  LCCSY, Syrian PC and Step News Agency. Meanwhile, five sources (SN4HR, SOHR, SNN  RFS and Muheet) blamed the Syrian regime. The remaining sources did not identify a cultprit.

LCCSY, SyrianPC and Dara Martyrs identified seven of the victims by name, listed below.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hisham Mohammed Khaled Al-Hajji
Age unknown male killed
Mohammed Khair Issa Al-Hajji
Adult male killed
Mahmoud Fayez Hamza Al - Hajji
Age unknown killed
Mohamed Kheir Ismail El Nasser
Age unknown male killed
Ismail Hassan Hajjaj
Age unknown male killed
Hamza Ismail Hajjaj
Age unknown male killed
Mouhammad Ahmad Hennawi
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–20
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • News report about the lethal shelling of Jassam, Dara'a, carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Al-Arabiya)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Footage from the immediate, chaotic aftermath of the contested aerial shelling of Jasssem, Dara'a (via Daraa Martyrs Documentation Office)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting Kassem, Dara'a, allegedly carried out by either Russia or the Syrian regime (via Dara Martyrs)
  • Footage from the immediate aftermath of the contested aerial shelling of Jasssem, Dara'a (via SMO News)
  • Aftermath of the contested aerial shelling of Jasssem, Dara'a (via Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Aftermath of the contested aerial shelling of Jasssem, Dara'a (@sameer88967 twitter)
  • Mohammed Khair Issa Al-Hajji was reportedly killed by the contested airstrikes in Kassem, Dara'a (via Jaassemcity)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Jassem (جاسم), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.991344, 36.060136. 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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–20
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (27) [ collapse]