Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

R4564

Incident date

October 4, 2023

Location

كفرنوران, Kafr Nouran, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

A missile strike killed at least five members of the same family, including three women, and wounded at least one more — all civilians — in Kafr Nouran, Aleppo after midnight on October 5, 2023. The strike was allegedly carried out by the Syrian regime and/or Russian military.

Zahraa Ali Karhou, an elderly crippled mother, was among the dead, along with four of her children. Her two adult daughters, Khadija Mustafa Tanna and Fatoum Mustafa Tanna, and two young sons, Faraj Mustafa Tanna and Ahmad Mustafa Tanna, were all killed in the strike, and another female sibling was injured.

The victims were an internally displaced family staying in a residential home, according to Syrian Civil Defense. The building was struck by missiles around 2 a.m., Al Quds reported, after which rescue teams transported the dead to a hospital, along with the wounded woman. Images posted by Al Quds also showed the funeral and burial of the victims.

Syrian Civil Defense reported five dead and one wounded, while Abu Obada Hamoe Post said the number of dead has risen to six, with “a number wounded.” A tweet from @creativenewssy provided a lower death count of two and identified three “serious” injuries.

Two anti-armor thermal rockets were used in the strike, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, who attributed the attack to the Syrian Regime. Others, including Khalil Al Yaseen Post, suggested Russian forces were responsible.

“Stunned, he does not know what happened, and how it happened,” @SyrianCivilDefe wrote on Twitter, describing a young surviving family member standing in front of the bodies. “One thing this child knows, he has known death and oppression since he was born…” Other images posted by the @SyrianCivilDefe show family members mourning over the bodies of those killed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Zahraa Ali Karho زهرة علي كرهة
Adult female killed
Faraj Mustafa Tanna فرج مصطفى تنا
Adult male killed
Ahmad Mustafa Tanna أحمد مصطفى تنا
Adult male killed
Khadija Mustafa Tanna خديجة مصطفى تنا
Adult female killed
Fatoum Mustafa Tanna فطوم مصطفى تنا
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (3 women2 men)
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: Aljazeera news
  • Source: Syria tv news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Alquds news
  • Source: Sarmen al yaom
  • Source: Sarmen al yaom
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abo obada hamoe
  • Source: SNHR news
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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 infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (3 women2 men)
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]