Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4480

Incident date

February 25, 2020

Location

بنش, Binnish, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians from the same family, including a child and two women, were reported killed, and 12 others, including up to seven children and three women, were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime forces airstrikes and/or artillery shelling on Binnish in Idlib, Syria on February 25th, 2020. Edlib Media Center said the regime attacked Binnish with rockets.

Shahba Press tweeted that four individuals had been killed in an air strike against the city of Binnish, along with twelve civilians wounded. Images provided by the Macro Media Center captured the extensive damage done by Assad regime warplanes.  Prior to the confirmation of four victims, Halab Today TV tweeted that “Aleppo Today” described how a woman and two children were trapped under rubble. The death toll was later raised to four.

According to @abuhuzaifa_, the victims are Abdullah Abdul-Qadir Qutini aged 13, Abdel-Qader Anas Qutini aged 2, Samira Abdullah Makhzoum aged 50 and Safia Abdel-Moneim Makhzam aged 24. According to the same source, those are the child, brother, mother and wife of Anas Al Qutni, who lost his family in one day.

Shaam News said that four civilians died in Binnish after “Russian and Asadian air forces launched dozens of airstrikes amid artillery and missile shelling that targeted the Idlib on February 25th, 2020.”

A tweet from A Tumer_Turkmane described two of the victims as IDPs from Khan Sheikhoun. Abdul Latif Nasser, the director of the Civil Defense Center in Bunche, noted to Smart News that seven women and two children were among the twelve wounded civilians. Abu Hando, the director of the Civil Defense Center in Idlib reported that the dead were from the same family.

A Syrian reporter through YouTube described the attack as planes “unloading its full payload of missiles” upon homes and other civilian targets in Binnish. A similar depiction was given by a Freedom Press Reporter as well.

The Syrian Civil Defense formally announced that the air raid was carried out by Assad’s planes. This report was corroborated by local witnesses and news agencies, including Smart News, Shaam News via a YouTube video, and Shahba Press. However, various other local sources, including Syrian Reporter, attributed the airstrikes and the resulting civilian casualties to Russian forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (35) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (36) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of aristrikes in Binnish in Idlib, on February 25th, 2020. (via @ShahbaPress).
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish on Feb 25th, 2020, and SCD volunteers seen responding to the incident. (via MMC)
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • Damage to civilian houses caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, February 25th, 2020 (via EMC).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Two children killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, Syria on February 25th, 2020. (via @abuhuzaifa)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Two children killed in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Binnish in Idlib, Syria on February 25th, 2020. (via SNHR)
  • Anas Qattini lost his children, his wife, his mother and his brother by alleged Russian bombing of the city of Binnish on February 25th, 2020. (via @abuhuzaifa)
  • Airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Damage caused by Airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • Damage caused by Airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • Damage caused by Airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • Damage caused by airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Damage caused by airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Rescue workers with one of the victims of airstrikes on the city of Binnish on February 25, 2020. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • The first moments of pulling out the martyrs and the wounded from the rubble as a result of the Russian air strikes on the city of Binnish, east of Idlib Photography: Hamza Abbas (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • The first moments of pulling out the martyrs and the wounded from the rubble as a result of the Russian air strikes on the city of Binnish, east of Idlib Photography: Hamza Abbas (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • The first moments of pulling out the martyrs and the wounded from the rubble as a result of the Russian air strikes on the city of Binnish, east of Idlib Photography: Hamza Abbas (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • The first moments of pulling out the martyrs and the wounded from the rubble as a result of the Russian air strikes on the city of Binnish, east of Idlib Photography: Hamza Abbas (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (35) [ collapse]