Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3729

Incident date

May 28, 2019

Location

كفر حلب, Kafar Halab, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to 11 civilians, including three children and two women, were killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Kafar Halab on May 28th, 2019, according to sources on the ground. 17 others were reportedly injured.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Syrian regime fixed-wing warplanes fired missiles on the public road in the middle of Kafar Halab in Aleppo. The Syrian Civil Defense at the scene blamed Russia and described that the high-explosive missiles struck the market in the middle of the town.

Al Jazeera wrote that “in the town of Kafr Haleb, west of Aleppo Governorate, 11 civilians were killed in the bombing of a commercial street that was crowded with pedestrians shortly before iftar, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.”

Other sources also reported that the incident took place around iftar when Muslims break their fast around sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. The Syrian Civil Defence reported that the strikes took place two hours before iftar.

In a tweet, @so_ria98 reported that Russian warplane committed a “horrific massacre” of eight civilian fatalities and dozens wounded. In a later post, the source claimed the death toll had risen to ten civilians, most of whom were displaced. Several sources posted graphic videos of charred bodies at the site of the airstrike.

@ShahbaPress initially reported seven civilian deaths including three children, but in a later post, the source also reported that the death toll had risen to ten civilians, including three children and two women. The same source reported that seventeen civilians were wounded.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee documented the deaths of Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Sadiq, his wife Hanan Omar Abdeen Obaid and their son Muhammad Ibrahim Al Sadiq.

While some sources, such as Al Jazeera, blamed the Syrian regime for the airstrikes, others, such as OrientTV and Qasioun News, blamed Russia.

The Syrian Civil Defense claimed that in total 20 civilians were wounded in Aleppo that day, but did not specify the number of wounded civilians in Kafar Halab.

The incident occured around dusk.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Adult female wife of Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Sadiq killed
Child male son of Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Sadiq killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 11
  • (1–3 children1–2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported injured
    17–20

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • The popular market in the town of Kafar Halab in the countryside of Western Aleppo after it was struck by an airstrike on May 28th (via @ShahbaPress).
  • Syrian Civil Defense volunteer putting out a fire caused by an airstrike on Kafar Halab on May 28th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Civil Defense Volunteers at the scene in Kafar Halab where an airstrike allegedly killed a number of civilians on May 28th (via @IdlibPlus).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Video at the scene of the main market in the town of Kafar Halab after it was struck by an airstrike on May 28th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • Body bags containing the victims of an alleged airstrike on Kafar Halab on May 28th (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).
  • Translation: “The massacre of the popular market in the town of Kfarhleb, in which 10 martyrs were killed, in a preliminary outcome as a result of an air strike by the Assad regime's planes today” (via @raheqeljanna153).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers in the aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kafar Halab on May 28th (via @raheqeljanna153).
  • Woman in the aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kafar Halab on May 28th (via @raheqeljanna153).
  • Men evacuating a child from underneath the rubble after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kafar Halab on May 28th (via @raheqeljanna153).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: “A second video of the Kafr Halab massacre 5/28/2019, shortly before breakfast time * 10 martyrs so far, including three children, two women, wounded and injured due to the targeting of regime's planes with high-explosive missiles to the popular market in the town of Kafr Haleb in the western countryside of Aleppo” (via @Mnar18049738).
  • Translation: “An airstrike on the town of Kafr Al Haleb” (via @Anas_Alhaje).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: “Kafar Haleb before sundown today. Russian and Assad crime” (via @hasanalhamada).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: “Watch: Charred corpses as a result of warplane shelling in Kafr Halab, and the number of martyrs increased to seven” (via @aboalhodaalhoms).
  • Translation: "A little while ago Russian occupation air strikes on the town of Kafr Haleb" (via OrientTV).
  • Translation: "Ten killed by the bombing of the Russian occupation air forces on the market of the town of Kafr Aleppo - Syria" (via OrientTV).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Charred bodies after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kafar Haleb on May 28th (via Qasioun News).
  • Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Sadiq (right) was killed alongside his son Muhammad Ibrahim Al Sadiq (left) and wife Hanan Omar Abdeen Obaid in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on May 28th (via Mustafa Mohammed Nabil).

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
    7 – 11
  • (1–3 children1–2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported injured
    17–20

Sources (24) [ collapse]