Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4322

Incident date

June 19, 2021

Location

قسطون, Qastoun, Hama, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a Civil Defense “White Helmet” member, was killed and three to six others were injured in alleged Russian or regime strikes on a civil defense center in Qastoun on June 19, 2021.

Anadolu Agency reported that “a Civil Defense member was killed and at least 4 others were injured, as Bashar al-Assad’s regime bombed their center in the countryside of Hama Governorate”.

Various other sources also reported that either three or four other Civil Defense members were injured and a tweet from @fattumabdulfat1 pointed out that one of them was in critical condition. @mohmad515obaid increased the number to “the injury of five other heroes of the White Helmets” and Baladi News added that “six others were wounded”.

A tweet from @ajmubasher named the White Helmet that was killed to be Daham Al-Hussein alongside an image of “a Civil Defense volunteer (White Helmets) crying over his colleague “Daham Al-Hussein” after his death”. A post by Syrian Civil Defense shows the three young children of Daham, who worked with the White Helmets for seven years.

Syrian Civil Defense also named the White Helmets injured: “Hassan Hashoum, Ahmad Al-Nader, Fateh Haj Ibrahim, three volunteers were wounded by shelling by the regime forces and Russia”.

Ebaa News reported that the damage to the Civil Defense center was so extensive that it was no longer in service.

Sources were split over whether the regime or Russia was responsible. Al Araby reported that the “Russian “Krasnopol” missiles” was used but attributed it to “the regime forces stationed in the city of Basqala in Idlib countryside”. However, @shaamnews blamed Russia. Syrian Civil Defense identified both Russian and the regime as responsible.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Adult male Member of the Syrian Civil Defense killed
Hassan Hashoum
Adult male Member of the Syrian Civil Defense injured
Ahmad Al-Nader
Adult male Member of the Syrian Civil Defense injured
Fateh Haj Ibrahim
Adult male Member of the Syrian Civil Defense injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–6
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (55) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (50) [ collapse]

  • Wreckage of a Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @HadiAlabdallah)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by Anadolu Agency)
  • "Photo of a Civil Defense volunteer (White Helmets) crying his colleague "Daham Al-Hussein" after his death as a result of artillery shelling by the Syrian regime targeting a civil defense center in the town of Qastoun in the Hama countryside" (Image posted by @ajmubasher)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @omar_nezhat)
  • "Pictures show members of the "White Helmets" bid farewell to one of their colleagues, who was killed by Russian artillery shelling targeting their center in the town of Qastoun" (Images posted by @shaamnews)
  • A Civil Defense volunteer mourns the loss of one of his colleagues following strikes on their center in the village of Qastoun on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @zelal_abo_adnan)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Image of a White Helmet mourning the loss of his coworker who died in the Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Children of Daham Abdul Ghani Al Hussein, the Civil Defense member of seven years who was killed in strikes on the civil defense center in Qastoun on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Image of Daham Abdul Ghani Al Hussein, a White Helmet who was killed in the Civil Defense center in Qastoun on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @Nabel_othman023)
  • Image of Daham Abdul Ghani Al Hussein, a White Helmet who was killed in the Civil Defense center in Qastoun on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @Nabel_othman023)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @shaamnews)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @shaamnews)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @shaamnews)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @shaamnews)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Image of a White Helmet mourning the loss of his coworker who died in the Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Image of a White Helmet mourning the loss of his coworker who died in the Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • White Helmets and other volunteers trying to recover damaged equipment and supplies from a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @ZaitunAgency)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @mohmad515obaid)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @mohmad515obaid)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @mohmad515obaid)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in the background in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @mohmad515obaid)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by Enab Baladi News)
  • Image of a destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Hassan Hashoum, Ahmad Al-Nader, Fateh Haj Ibrahim, three volunteers were wounded by shelling by the regime forces and Russia, which directly targeted the Syrian Civil Defense Center in the town of Qastoun. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Hassan Hashoum, Ahmad Al-Nader, Fateh Haj Ibrahim, three volunteers were wounded by shelling by the regime forces and Russia, which directly targeted the Syrian Civil Defense Center in the town of Qastoun. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Hassan Hashoum, Ahmad Al-Nader, Fateh Haj Ibrahim, three volunteers were wounded by shelling by the regime forces and Russia, which directly targeted the Syrian Civil Defense Center in the town of Qastoun. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Volunteer Muhammad Ramadan comforting Abd al-Ghani Ibn al-Shahid, son of the SCD volunteer that was killed in the strikes on Qastoun on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Image of an ambulance with some of the sand materials outside of the destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • Image of volunteers and equipment trying to salvage the injured and materials from the destroyed Civil Defense center in Qastoun following alleged bombing by the regime on June 19, 2021. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–6
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (55) [ collapse]