Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4528

Incident date

July 9–10, 2023

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shughour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Around midnight between Sunday July 9th and Monday July 10th 2023, the residential neighborhood of Jisr al-Shughour in west Idlib was reportedly shelled by Syrian regime and/or Russian forces, resulting in the injury of two civilians, father and his daughter. It is unclear if the female victim is a child or an adult woman.

Adel Hijazi and his daughter Yasmine Hijazi were slightly injured as they sat in their living room when shrapnel penetrated the walls of their house. They were both treated and Adel was taken to hospital by the Syrian Civil Defence. According to the Syrian Civil Defence, a family was evacuated from a house near the point of impact and the affected area was secured. Civilian homes and cars were damaged and destroyed in this dense residential area.

Some sources, including the Syrian Civil Defence, identified the belligerents as Syrian regime and Russian forces. Al-Jazeera and a few other sources, including Orient News, identified regime forces as the only belligerents. The local news site Zaman al-Wasl identified the belligerents as regime forces and Iranian militias stationed in “Jourin” camp. @mzmgr941 reported 6 Russian and 2 coalition reconnaissance planes in the sky that night.

One tweet from Adnan Jawish claimed some of the injuries were “serious cases” while others described the injuries as mild.

Zaman al-Wasl identified the location of the shelling as the northern neighborhood, and the “Soma’a” roundabout in the center of the city of Jisr al-Shughour.

The Syrian Civil Defence and Radio Al Kul both reported a third man who “swallowed his tongue out of fear”. However, it was not clear what was meant by this and he was not reported as injured.

The son of the injured father, also called Adel, described the way smoke, dust and screams had filled the living room where he and his family were sitting when the bomb hit. He also described how the family’s birds were silent the next morning, when they normally sing. He concluded by saying “but life began to go on, and we continue our lives and live the hope that the bombing stops and the life of instability ends one day.”

The incident occured around midnight.

The victims were named as:

Adel Hijazi
Age unknown male injured
Yasmine Hijazi
Age unknown female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers at the site of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The first moments of our teams' response to artillery shelling targeted the city of Jisr al-Shughur, west of Idlib, just before midnight today, Monday, July 10, which caused the injury of a man and his daughter, and another man who swallowed his tongue out of fear.
  • Assad's militia shells the city of Jisr al-Shughour with artillery, leaving a number of wounded
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Adel Hijazi and his daughter were injured as a result of artillery shelling by Assad's gangs on the city of Jisr Al-Shughour
  • Remnants of a shell and smoke from alleged Russian or Syrian regime shelling of Jisr Al Shughour on July 9/10, 2023. (Image posted by @mzmgr941)

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
    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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]