Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4517

Incident date

June 12, 2023

Location

افس, Afes, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Monday June 12th 2023, an alleged missile strike by Assad regime forces and Russia hit the village of Afes in the eastern countryside of Idlib, injuring between one and three civilians, including two children.

Sources including @SyriaCivilDefe and @hadikhraat twitter accounts, and Zaman Al Wasl reported three civilians being hit by shrapnel, including a man, Jamal, and his two children, Marwa and Abdullah, while Radio Al Kul accounts for a woman and two children being injured. @HalabTodayTV twitter account is the only source reporting only a woman being injured. Images posted by @SyriaCivilDefe show two children and a man being treated for their injuries by the White Helmets.

All sources, including @SyriaCivilDefe and @VedengAgency1 twitter accounts, reported that the attack took place in the vicinity of the village of Afes in the countryside of Idlib under the control of the Turkish-backed factions. Moreover, Radio Al Kul noted that the airstrike also affected “the vicinity of the Turkish military point in the village of Maarat Aliya, east of Idlib” and @pvSScBsybeozsB8 twitter account mentions “more than 125 rocket and artillery shells.”

The suspected attackers are alleged to be the Syrian armed forces and Russia, as reported by @SyriaCivilDefe twitter account and Zaman Al Wasl, although responsibility has not been accepted explicitly.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Jamal
male injured
Marwa
Child injured
Abdullah
Child injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A man and his children injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling on the village of Afes on June 12, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • A civilian and his two children were injured when the vicinity of the town of #Afes in #Idlib countryside was targeted with rocket launchers
  • More than 125 rocket and artillery shells targeted Idlib axes, wounding a man and his two children in the village of Afes
  • 3 civilians, including two children, were wounded by artillery and missile strikes of the regime forces on the town of Afes

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 harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]