Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4547

Incident date

August 26, 2023

Location

كنصفرة, Kansafra, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two children were killed and at least four other civilians were injured, including up to three children and two women, in artillery shelling allegedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian forces during the afternoon on August 26th, 2023 in Kansafra, Idlib. The two children were siblings and have been identified by the Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe) as the children of Muhammad Mahmoud al-Mustafa. They were both buried that day.

Sources diverge on the gender of the children, with the Civil Defense stating they were brother and sister, while Syria News and Sky News claimed they were both boys. Along with the siblings, three other children were reported injured along with their mother and another unidentified woman. Syrian Civil Defense took the mother and at least one child to the hospital, before inspecting the neighborhood for further casualties. Syria TV, on information from the Civil Defense, alleged the injured child was a girl. Shaam News alleged those injured were related to the two children who were killed. Though numerous reports state five people were injured, there is some disparity: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights believed four to have been wounded, with Sky News alleging six.

Though sources agree that the casualties were a result of artillery shelling, there is some disagreement regarding the perpetrator. Syrian Civil Defense stated its belief that the shelling was carried out by the Syrian regime and Russian forces, while Orient News alleged the regime along with Iranian militias bombed Kansafra.

Sky News alleged the casualties occurred during an exchange of missile and artillery shelling between the Syrian regime and insurgent group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).

The shelling affected residential areas, including schools. The Civil Defense specified that the schools were in use, with summer clubs and preparation courses for high school exams taking place.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Child of Mr. Muhammad Mahmoud al-Mustafa
Child killed
Child of Mr. Muhammad Mahmoud al-Mustafa
Child killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–6
  • 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

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civil Defense volunteers with victims of shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civil Defense volunteers with victims of shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civil Defense volunteers with victims of shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • One of the children killed by shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Rescuing a child and her mother who were wounded by the artillery shelling that targeted the village of Kansafra in the southern countryside of Idlib today, Saturday, August 26, which led to the killing of two siblings and wounding 5, including 3 children and their mother.
  • #Sham | “She fell asleep in heaven.” Two children were killed and wounded as a result of the Assad regime’s artillery shelling on the town of Kansafra
  • The bodies of the two children killed by shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)
  • Pro-Assad and #Iranian militias bombard the town of #Kansafra, south of #Idlib
  • Shelling in Kansafra on August 26, 2023. (Image posted by @spc_fr)

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
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–6
  • 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

Sources (26) [ collapse]