Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS020 CS133

Incident date

October 6, 2015

Location

عندان, Anadan, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.29353, 37.04466 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two children and a 46 year old male were reported killed during four alleged Russian strikes in the evening on Anadan. Another man was also named as a victim by VDC. Eyewitnesses described at least one secondary, or ‘double tap’ strike.

A local medic told Qassioun: “Between the afternoon and evening Russian planes carried out intensive raids on areas in the northern Aleppo countryside which led to dozens of injured and three deaths. One of the martyrs is a ten year old boy, a young man of 17 years old and a 40 year old man. The injuries are very serious.”

Smart TV showed footage of Russian aircraft which it said was filmed near Aleppo: “Spotted at 17:30 in the evening, for the first time, one of the Russian planes in the sky of the city of Aleppo on their way to carry out raids on the villages and towns of the countryside.”

And Ibrahim Kharfan, a rebel in the town, insisted only civilian areas were being targeted: “The Russians are claiming, along with the regime and all those supporting this rotten regime they are claiming they are targeting [military] bases. We are here in Anadan and everything you see here is civilian houses. All the bombing now is being directed at civilians’ houses.”

While there was near consensus that Russia was responsible, VDC continues to list both boys as having been killed in a US-led Coalition strike.

In their January 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no strikes were conducted in the geographical area at the time.

The incident occured at 17:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Amin al-Sageer
Adult male He was 46 years old and VDC says he was killed due to Russian strikes killed
Adult male killed
Child male He was 10 years old and VDC says he was killed due to coalition shelling killed
Child male He was 17 years old and VDC says he was killed due to coalition shelling killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, US-led Coalition

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • A video reporting four alleged Russian raids on the town of Anadan on, 6th October 2015. (via, The Syrian Civil Defence)
  • Footage reporting that Russian planes targeted Anadan in Aleppo for the first time, 6th October 2015. (via Arabs in Turkey)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The body of one of the children, Abed Al Rahman al Sageer, killed in the raid on Anadan, 6th October 2015. (via, VDC)
  • News bulletin reporting that 4 Russian raids on Anadan had caused deaths and injuries. One eyewitness reports that two brothers were killed in the raid. [Via: Al Aan news]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Although Russia reported 20 combat sorties for October 6th 2015, no reference was made to strikes in Aleppo governorate. The Russian MoD also intimated that opposition forces were faking reports of civilian casualties: “It cannot be ruled out that now terrorists are intentionally preparing acts of provocation such as detonation of mosques in order to demonstrate fake photos and videos to indict the Russian aviation.”

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCA244183
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 3, 2020
  • October 6, 2015, in Anadan, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2851/CS133 37SCA244183

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, US-led Coalition

Sources (11) [ collapse]