Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4008

Incident date

December 17, 2019

Location

بابيلا, Babila, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

One civilian was reportedly killed in an alleged regime or Russian artillery/airstrike on the village of Babila, Idlib governorate, in the early morning of December 17th, 2019.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee identified the victim as Othman Al-Diab. Edlib Media Centre claimed as the only source that the attack “resulted in the martyrdom of civilian IDP families” without specifying the number of civilian deaths. @NagiNajjar reported that beyond the casualties, “several others were wounded”.

The sources make conflicting on whether Russian Armed Forces or the Syrian regime conducted the attack.

While most sources reported that warplanes conducted airstrikes on the outskirts of the city, a number of others, such as Jisr TV, claimed that Syrian regime’s fighters shelled the town with heavy machine guns. Others claim that the belligerents attacked with heavy machine guns from airplanes.

 

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • 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 Armed Forces, Syrian Regime Armed Forces

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • A Syrian civil defense volunteer during a rescue operation after an alleged Syrian regime or Russian airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via @abdalkaderlhep2).

Russian Armed Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Armed Forces
  • Russian Armed Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Armed Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime Armed Forces
  • Syrian Regime Armed Forces 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
  • 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 Armed Forces, Syrian Regime Armed Forces

Sources (22) [ collapse]