Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4519

Incident date

June 21, 2023

Location

كفرنوران, Kafarnouran, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between three and four civilians, including a child, were reported to have been killed and up to 11 others, including two children, a woman and an elderly man, were injured by shelling suspected by militants allied to the Syrian regime and/or Russian forces in the countryside village of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023.

The @SyriaCivilDefe initially reported that two civilians, a child and his father, were killed and eight others, including three children, were injured in the initial outcome of the shelling of the road connecting the village of Kafr Nouran and the town of Maarat Al-Naasan. The Syrian Civil Defense later updated their toll to three dead and 11 wounded, including two children, a woman and an elderly man.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights provided the names of the civilians killed: Mousab Barakat, his son Mohammad Mousab Barakat, and Salim Darwish, and @khaleedalkhteb added the name Ahmed Shaaban from Taftanaz to the list of civilians killed. A tweet from @mzmgr941 referred to Salim as a “youth” but did not specify his age.

A tweet from @DeryNews provided the names of the civilians injured: Mohammed Ata (male), Odai Mohammed Ata (male), Abd Al Karim Drousi (male), Mustafa Al Ali (male), Saddam Ata (male), Rahma Nassan (Female), Fouzi Taha (male).

North Press Agency put the number of civilians killed at three but added that seven civilians were killed, to varying degrees of severity.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that six rebels who were near the site of the attack were also injured.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, one of the shells struck a main street in the center of Kafr Nouran close to the municipality building while a second one landed near a street vendor on the road which connects Kafr Nouran and Maarat Al-Naasan. The Violations Documentation Center added that the victims were gathered near a car selling vegetables when the shelling occurred.

Images shared online show blood and shoes scattered on the road near a local street vendor.

Most reports directed blame for the attack towards the Syrian regime forces while other sources, including the Syrian Civil Defense, attributed the shelling to the Syrian regime and Russian forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights specifically blamed the regime forces stationed in the 46th Regiment in the western countryside of Aleppo for carrying out the shelling.

Damas Post reported that the shelling also resulted in an exodus of residents from the town and material damage.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mousab Barakat مصعب ابن الشيخ محمود بركات
Adult male killed
Mohammad Mousab Barakat محمد مصعب بركات
Child male killed

Family members (3)

Mohammed Ata
male injured
Odai Mohammed Ata
male
Saddam Ata
male

The victims were named as:

Salim Darwish سليم عبدالكريم درويش
Adult male killed
Ahmed Shaaban
Age unknown killed
Abd Al Karim Drousi
Age unknown male injured
Mustafa Al Ali
Age unknown male injured
Rahma Nassan
Age unknown female injured
Fouzi Taha
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Marketplace
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–11
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    6

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (31) [ collapse]

  • An elderly man injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • An elderly man injured by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Funeral for the father and son killed by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • After artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia today, Wednesday, June 21, targeted the village of Kafr Nouran, west of #Aleppo, killing 3 civilians and wounding 11 others.
  • A reporter of #Sham_Network in the town of Kafr Nouran in the western countryside of Aleppo transmits details of the artillery and missile shelling that targeted the town by Assad's forces and Iran's militias, which led to civilian deaths and injuries.
  • Martyrs, including a child and several injuries, in the shelling of the Assad regime's residential areas in Kafr Nouran, in the countryside of Aleppo, Maarat Al-Naasan and Katyan
  • Martyrs, including a child and several injuries, in the shelling of the Assad regime's residential areas in Kafr Nouran, in the countryside of Aleppo, Maarat Al-Naasan and Katyan
  • A massacre in Kafr Nouran by the missiles of the Russian external occupation. There are three martyrs and two injuries, including a woman.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic images of alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Salim Darwish, killed by alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @mzmgr941)
  • Leaving dead and wounded... Artillery shelling by #Assad's militia targets the town of Kafr Nuran in #Aleppo_rural
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of Mohammad Mousab Barakat, killed by alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @khaleedalkhteb)
  • Salim Darwish, killed by alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @Hamoudi_Free_Sy)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Moments filled with oppression and death... After artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia today, Wednesday, June 21, targeted the village of Kafr Nouran, west of #Aleppo, killing 3 civilians and wounding 11 others.
  • Funeral for the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Baladi News)
  • Funeral for the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Baladi News)
  • Funeral for the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Baladi News)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The child killed by alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Baladi News)
  • Funeral for the victims of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by @raa_hma1)
  • A horrific massacre committed by the forces of the criminal regime in the town of Kafr Nuran in the western countryside of Aleppo
  • Civilian victims of artillery shelling by the Damascus government forces targeting the village of Kafr Nuran in the countryside of #Aleppo
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Three martyrs. Among them is a child and more than ten injuries, as a result of the artillery shelling of the militia. Assad attacked the areas of Kafr Nouran in the southwestern countryside of Aleppo and Katyan in the countryside of Idlib, Maarat al-Naasan and the outskirts of Benin Jabal al-Zawiya were also targeted.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very graphic image of Mohammad Mousab Barakat and his father, killed by alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Amer Amer via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Blood from a victim of alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Mustafa Hashem via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Mustafa Hashem via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Mustafa Hashem via Facebook)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Syrian regime and Russian shelling of Kafr Nouran on June 21, 2023. (Image posted by Mustafa Hashem via Facebook)

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
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Marketplace
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–11
  • 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
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    6

Sources (39) [ collapse]