Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4445

Incident date

April 4, 2022

Location

معارة النعسان, Maaret Al Nassan, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Four children were killed on their way home from school and others, including women, were wounded by alleged Russian or regime shelling of the town of Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022.

Syrian Human Rights Committee reported that four children were killed by a bombing carried out by the regime forces “backed by the Russian and Iranian occupation”. The four children were killed by heavy artillery shelling at noon while they were returning from school.

The names of the children are: Yamen Juma Yassin, Hamza Mansour Aswad. Malek Anas Daoudi, Nasr Hajj Ahmed. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights specified that the students were under the age of 18.

Al Jazeera reported that in addition to the four children killed, “others” were wounded, but didn’t specify how many. Resala Post added that “among the wounded were women, some of them seriously”.

Syrian Network for Human Rights identified the location of the strikes as occurring in the al Shamali neighborhood of the village, adding that the regime forces used “shoulder-fired missiles”.

A video posted by Shaam News shows the father of one of the children killed in the attack crying over the body of his son. Syrian Civil Defense also pointed out that the children that were killed were carrying UNICEF notebooks distributed to them and images they posted show the notebooks covered in blood.

One of the Syrian Civil Defense volunteers named Laith Al-Abdullah who was involved in the rescue operation described “seeing a father kissing his son’s two legs while a man wrapped his son’s body and hugged her while he was talking to her and he was feeling and smelling her, and at the same moment a mother said goodbye to her son and called him kindly. Goodbye Yamo, greetings to all your loved ones who came here and preceded you, there were many harsh moments and many that burn the heart.”

Sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the bombing, with the majority of sources referring to both the regime and Russian forces as responsible, while @Almohrar1 blamed only Russia and @AsharqNewsSYR blamed only the regime.

The incident occured at 12:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Yamen Juma Yassin يامن جمعة ياسين
Child killed
Hamza Mansour Aswad حمزة منصور أسود
Child killed
Malek Anas Daoudi مالك انس داؤودي
Child killed
Nasr Hajj Ahmed نصر حج أحمد
Child killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (4 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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

Sources (49) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (48) [ collapse]

  • A man cries his child who was killed by Assad's shells with his companions while returning from school in the town of #Maarat_Al-Naasan in #Idlib countryside
  • The bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Shaam News)
  • Civil Defense forces respond following alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • "Muhammad and Mustafa" are friends at school for the four martyred children "Hamza, Nasr, Malik and Yamen" who were killed today, Monday, April 4, by bombing of the regime forces and Russia on #Maarat_Al-Na'san. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @IdlibPlus)
  • The victims of alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022 bring buried. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • The victims of alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022 bring buried. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)
  • Items from the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by Macro Media Center)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of children killed in Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of children killed in Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of children killed in Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of children killed in Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)
  • People morn over the bodies of children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @syria_Asmaaa)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ahsaeedhd)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ahsaeedhd)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Painful scenes of parents mourning their martyred children east of Idlib, the third day of Ramadan 4 children were killed by a missile from the militia of Russia and Iran while they were on their way to their school in the village of Maarat al-Naasan, east of Idlib.
  • The village turned black instead of being decorated with decorations for the holy month.. 4 children were killed on their way to school as a result of artillery shelling by the Assad regime forces targeting the town of Maarat al-Naasan in Idlib countryside
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The collapse of the father of the child "Hamza Aswad", one of the four children who died today in the bombing of the #Assad militia on #Maarat_Al-Naasan in the northern countryside of #Idlib

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Four student children died as martyrs today, on the third day of #Ramadan_Mubarak, in the sleepy town of #Maarat_Al-Nassan, with the criminal hatred of sectarian shells supported by the occupiers #Russia and #Iran
  • 4 children were killed on their way to school as a result of the bombing by Assad's gangs on the city of Maarat al-Na'san in Idlib countryside.
  • Four children were killed by a Assad militia on their way to school in the town of Maarat al-Naasan, northeast of Idlib
  • Four children were killed in the town of Maarat al-Naasan in Idlib countryside, after artillery shelling by Bashar al-Assad's militias targeted the town.
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
  • Funeral for the children killed in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Maaret Al Nassan on April 4, 2022. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Child victims of regime bombing on #Maarat_Al-Naasan in #Idlib countryside

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
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (4 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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

Sources (49) [ collapse]