Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4498a

Incident date

January 19, 2023

Location

قسطون, Qastoun, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Four to nine civilians, including three children and a woman, were reported injured as a result of alleged Russian forces, Syrian regime, or Iranian militia artillery fire on January 19th 2023 in Qastoun, Idlib, according to local sources.

According to the Syrian Civil Defense, four civilians were injured from the same family (three children and their grandmother). One child was reported to be in critical condition. The artillery fire hit their home in the village south of Idlib.

@mzmgr941 identified the injured as slightly different including two men, and three children, and that the names of those injured were: Riyad Radwan Ahmed Attia Al-Khalil, aged 7; Ahmed Radwan Attia Al-Khalil, aged five; Abdel-Dominant Khalil, aged 35; Khalil Juma Muhammad Al-Hamoud, aged 35; and another “injured girl.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of injured at five, including three children. Alaraby News put the number of casualties at nine injuries, adding that the shelling struck civilian homes and close to the vicinity of the Turkish base in Qastoun.

The majority of sources attributed the shelling to the Syrian regime forces, while the Syrian Civil Defense blamed both the Syrian regime and Russian forces and @Almohrar1 identified the “Russian external occupation” as being responsible. Daily Sabah News, a Turkish pro-government source, quoted “civilian sources” who said that the Syrian regime and accompanying Iranian militias in the village of Jourin launched the artillery shelling.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Riyad Radwan Ahmed Attia Al-Khali
7 years old injured
Ahmed Radwan Atiya Al-Khalil
5 years old injured
Abdel-Dominant Khalil Khalil
35 years old male injured

The victims were named as:

Juma Muhammad Al-Hamoud
35 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–9
  • 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, Iranian Military
  • Suspected target
    Turkish Forces

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers respond to civilians injured by shelling in Qastoun on January 19, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Civil Defense volunteers respond to civilians injured by shelling in Qastoun on January 19, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Civil Defense volunteers respond to civilians injured by shelling in Qastoun on January 19, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • Civil Defense volunteers respond to civilians injured by shelling in Qastoun on January 19, 2023. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense via Twitter)
  • "3 children, their grandmother, and a child from another family were wounded in artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia, targeting their house in the village of Qastun in Sahl al-Ghab, south of Idlib" (@HalabTodayTV)
  • shelling in Qastoun on January 19, 2023. (Image posted by @Almohrar1 )
  • "#injuries The child, Riyad Radwan Ahmed Attia Al-Khalil, 7 years old The child Ahmed Radwan Atiya Al-Khalil, 5 years old There is also an injured girl The young man, Abdel-Dominant Khalil Khalil, 35 years old The young man, Juma Muhammad Al-Hamoud, 35 years old" (Image posted by @AlsarwtJ)

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

Iranian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iranian Military
  • Iranian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–9
  • 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, Iranian Military
  • Suspected target
    Turkish Forces

Sources (17) [ collapse]