Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS077

Incident date

October 25, 2015

Location

الشيخ بركة, Sheikh Barakeh, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.559369, 36.979087 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to the Syrian Observatory, “suspected Russian warplanes attacked the village of al-Sheikh Barakah in the township of Sinjar in the eastern countryside of Idlib, killing a woman and [her] two children while other civilians were seriously wounded.” A third child died a fews days later of her injuries.

The centre of the village was targeted in the incident, resulting in widespread destruction. Up to 20 civilians were also reported injured. The Syrian Network later cited an eyewitness: “I was 3km away from the shelling incident. At 8pm on Sunday night, a Russian warplane launched a vacuum missile on the eastern neighborhood. I saw a warplane from a very high altitude and it launched a rocket without even flying at lower altitudes to reach the target. When it launched the rocket the sky was lit from the severity of the explosion. The neighborhood, which is free of any military headquarters, was shelled, and shops and houses around 500 meters were damaged, and a woman, her son and another child were killed. Five minutes later the warplane performed another raid 250 meters away from the first shelling location with a vacuum missile also. There, at least 7 shops were damaged. I do not know why they are shelling civilians.”

 

The incident occured at 20:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Sanae Walid A Mhaimeed
Child female Died of her injuries October 27th killed
Kamel Mhammad al-Mhaimeed
Child female killed
Sajed Waleed al-Mhaimeed
Child female killed

The victims were named as:

Fatme Khaled al-Hawyan
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village Sheikh Barakeh (الشيخ بركة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.559369, 36.979087. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • GRAPHIC Child victim of an alleged Russian airstrike at (via Jaish Al-Fateh)
  • image of a child killed in the strike (via Jaish Al-Fateh)
  • image of a child killed in the strike (via Jaish Al-Fateh)
  • image of a child killed in the strike (via Jaish Al-Fateh)
  • image of a child killed in the strike (via Adnan Abu Mahmooh facebook page)
  • image of a child killed in the strike (via Adnan Abu Mahmooh facebook page)
  • translation: the death of three martyrs with God’s will and nearly 20 wounded in the village of Al Sheikh Baraka in the eastern countryside - Russian plane raids.
  • Translation: Opposition sources: Dead and injured in Russian strikes on the village of Sheikh Baraka in Idlib countryside
  • Translation: Idlib countryside: the martyrdom of two children and a woman and the wounding of 20 others following Russian plane bombardement of the Sheikh Baraka area near Ma’arat Al No’man.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Unknown

The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed carrying out airstrikes at Idlib on October 25th-26th 2015. “In the course of the last 24 hours, the Russian air group carried out 59 sorties engaging 94 terrorist objects in the Hama, Idlib, Lattakia, Damascus, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor provinces.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown

Sources (10) [ collapse]