Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4527

Incident date

July 9, 2023

Location

البارة, Al Bara, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the morning of July 9, 2023, the town of Al Bara, Syria, was reportedly hit with shelling directed by Russian and/or Syrian government forces. As a result of this, three children were reported wounded, with one, a seven year old boy, subsequently dying due to his injuries. According to local sources, multiple civilian homes were damaged.

In its reporting of this incident, Shaam Network stated, “3 children were injured, one of them seriously, in artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia, which targeted civilian homes in the town of Al-Bara, south of Idlib, in a continuation of the attacks against civilians.” The Syrian Human Rights Committee published the names of the injured children: Mohamed Salah Al-Arab, 7 years old; Omran Salah Al-Arab, 5 years old; Tala Salah Al-Arab, a year and a half.

While reports initially stated all three children had been wounded, on July 18, the @SyriaCivilDefe stated on Twitter that a seven year old boy named Mohamed Salah Al-Arab had died ‘as a result of his wounds sustained in artillery shelling by the regime forces and Russia, which targeted the residential neighborhoods of the town of Al-Bara, south of Idlib.”

Following this event, Noon Post published photographs showing children receiving medical treatment, and damage to a roof. Further photographs, showing damage to what appears to be a residential building, were published by @SyriaCivilDefe.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mohamed Salah Al-Arab محمد صلاح العرب
7 years old killed
Omran Salah Al-Arab عمران صلاح العرب
5 years old injured
Tala Salah Al-Arab تالا صلاح العرب
1.5 years old injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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,

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (14) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @alkhabour21)
  • A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @alkhabour21)
  • A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @alkhabour21)
  • A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @alkhabour21)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Damage at the site of alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @Omar_Madaniah)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @Omar_Madaniah)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child injured by alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @Omar_Madaniah)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    #Sham || There were wounded, including children, as a result of artillery shelling by Assad's forces and Iranian and Russian militias on the town of Al-Bara in Jabal Al-Zawiya, south of Idlib.
  • Alleged Russian/Syrian regime shelling of Al Bara on July 9, 2023. (Image posted by @Najdat567)
  • The Russian external occupation publishes a video of the moment civilians were targeted today by missile strikes on the villages of Jabal Al-Zawiya, and three children were injured 👇

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
  • position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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,

Sources (26) [ collapse]