Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3898

Incident date

July 13, 2019

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Around dawn, a “rocket-propelled grenade attack” struck a cave on a farm near the town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing up to ten displaced civilians from Al Latamina whilst they were asleep.

@SyrianCoalition blamed the Syrian regime for what it described as a massacre and claimed that two families were murdered, including two men, two women and four children.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the victims were from two separate families; a man, his wife and two children were killed in addition to another man, his wife and his two children. The families left Al Latamina town after it was struck by earlier airstrike and were seeking shelter in the cave.

The Syrian Civil Defense forces, who were at the scene, reported that a total of ten people were killed, including six children.

Local sources identified the victims, but was a bit unclear which children belong to which families.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Family members (5)

Adult female Wife of Ahmed Hussein Al Sayed killed
Child female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (4–6 children2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (41) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (13) [ collapse]

  • A farm near the city of Khan Sheikhoun was struck by an airstrike at dawn on July 13th (via @SyrianCoalition).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Bodies of children killed in an airstrike on a farm near the city of Khan Sheikhoun was struck by an airstrike at dawn on July 13th (via @SyrianCoalition).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Bodies of children killed in an airstrike on a farm near the city of Khan Sheikhoun was struck by an airstrike at dawn on July 13th (via @SyrianCoalition).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defense volunteers carrying bodies to the cemetery after an airstrike struck Khan Sheikhoun, killing two families of up to nine civilians on July 13th (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).
  • Father and his children Amir and Tasnim were killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib on July 13th (via Syrian Network for Human Rights).
  • Syrian Civil Defense forces searching for bodies through the rubble after an alleged Russian or Syrian airstrike struck near Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defense forces searching for bodies through the rubble after an alleged Russian or Syrian airstrike struck near Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th (via Syrian Civil Defense).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child killed by an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike on Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th (via Syrian Civil Defense Forces).
  • A father and child, killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike on Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th (via @so_ria98).
  • A father and his two children, killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime strike on Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th (via @so_ria98).
  • Translation: “The killing of eight Syrian civilians from one family as a result of a Russian air strike on the cities of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib countryside” (via @AlarabyTV).
  • Translation: “Eight civilians were killed in the regime's raids on the Idlib de-escalation zone Warplanes of the regime were launched this morning on the cities of Khan Sheikhoun and Ma'arat Al Numan, and the city center of Idlib” (via @mugtama).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun on July 13th, 2019 (via @mugtama).

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (4–6 children2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (41) [ collapse]