Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1022 CS273a

Incident date

July 19, 2016

Location

إدلب, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.93062, 36.63393 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what has been described as a massacre, committed by both Russian and Assad regime and coalition warplanes, between 10 and 23 civilians were killed and as many as 35 more wounded on July 19th in Idlib city. Other sources claimed that the Coalition was involved in the incident. According to Shaam News Network the raids took place just before midnight.

A local journalist tweeted that three locations in the city were targeted. “Russian warplanes shelling targets three areas in Idlib; Al-Nakhla roundabout, Al-Saha parking lot near Omar Bin Al-Khattab mosque and young offenders jail”. He also reported that 10 were killed and 35 civilians were injured.

Smart News reported that 10 civilians were killed, and a local added that an entire family including a woman and her unborn baby were included in those killed. Smart News called the incident a massacre and also blamed Russia for the airstrikes.

Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed “allied warplane shelling” for the airstrike.

A local news channel tweeted that “At least 12 martyrs and and many injured due to Russian warplanes shelling in neighbours of Idlib tonight.” However, another local news channel – Alsouria News – claimed that “23 were martyred including children and no less than 30 wounded in Russian and coalition warplanes shelling in Idlib.” This was the highest reported death toll.

Most of the civilians killed were already displaced from Aleppo, according to Shaam News Network.

Activist Ghayth Al-Sayed told Alsouria “a Russian warplane and another one from the coalition took turns in shelling Idlib with more than 15 raids in the morning which killed 15 in initial toll and wounded more than 30 who were taken to medical points for treatment.”

The scale of the injuries meant that local field hospitals announced it needed quantities of blood for the injured.

The raids continued overnight in Idlib to the 20th of July.

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

The incident occured at approximately 11:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 23
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    30–35
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • The destruction caused by alleged Russian and coalition warplanes on 19th July 2016, Idlib. (via Alsouria).
  • Tweet reporting alleged Russian raids on various locations in Idlib city: Al Nakhla roundabout, Al Saha parking lot near Omar Bin Khattab mosque and the Young Offenders jail killing 10 and injuring 35. 20th July 2016
  • Syrian Network for Human Rights tweets that government warplanes [and allies] carried out raids on Idlib on the 19th killing three people at least including a woman and a baby. 20th July 2016
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown

Russia has not reported any strikes between July 16th – 27th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

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
    37SBV865788
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 25, 2020
  • July 19, 2016, in Idlib, 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. 3017/CS273a 37SBV865788

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 23
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    30–35
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]