Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1121

Incident date

August 11, 2016

Location

الدانا, Al Dana, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.218763, 36.768638 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians were killed and as many as dozens more were wounded in an airstrike on Al Dana, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime. LCCSY put the death toll at 11.

Many sources attributed the airstrikes to regime planes, including Baladi, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Nabdsyria. However, some other reports, such as @Daretezzmedia and LCCSY said that Russia was responsible.

Ara News, also blaming Russia, reported that “five airstrikes led to a massacre of more than 12 people dead, with dozens wounded, mostly women and children. This was the initial death count, and the civil defence were still pulling bodies out of the rubble”.

Images posted by various media outlets showed extensive material damage. Zamanalwasl noted that the airstrikes struck densely populated residential area, which was why the casualties were high.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mustafa Abdel Wahab
Adult male identified by LCCSY killed
Abdel Qader Mustafa Abdel Wahab
Adult female identified by LCCSY killed
Child of Mustafa Abdel Wahab
Child identified by All4Syria killed

Family members (2)

Hanadi Al-Jaro
Age unknown identified by LCCSY killed
Islam Al-Jaro
Age unknown identified by LCCSY killed

The victims were named as:

Mustafa Sina Hazina
Age unknown identified by LCCSY killed
Ahmad Abo Habla
Age unknown identified by LCCSY killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Dana (الدانا), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.218763,36.768638. 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
    7 – 12
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Destruction caused by an airstrike on Al Dana town, Idlib, Aug 11th (via Baladi)
  • Ahmad Abo Habla, one of the alleged victims of the raids on Al Dana. (via, LCCSY)
  • The aftermath of the alleged raid and the damage it caused to civilian homes. (via, Baladi News)
  • Damage to the infrastructure following an alleged raid on Al Dama. (via, JisiriTV)
  • Damage to civilian homes in the aftermath of the incident. (via, All4syria)
  • The aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on Al Dana, 10th August 2016. (via, HalabTodayTV)
  • The aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on Al Dana, 10th August 2016. (via, HalabTodayTV)
  • The aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on Al Dana, 10th August 2016. (via, HalabTodayTV)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

On August 11th 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported that, "six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from the territory of the Russian Federation and carried out concentrated strikes with high-explosive fragmentation munitions on objects of the ISIS terrorist grouping located to the south-east, north, and north-west regions from the Raqqah city. A large weaponry, ammunition and POL storage located near the Raqqah city, a plant producing chemical munitions located in the north-western suburbs of the city, and a large ISIS terrorists’ training camp have been destroyed by the aviation strike." Further to this they added that "Terrorists have suffered significant material damage. A lot of insurgents have been eliminated." According to the report the bombers took off from Hmeymim airbase.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 12
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]