Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1299

Incident date

September 22, 2016

Location

حي بستان القصر, Bustan al Qasr (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.19569, 37.14229 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Major strikes in Bustan al Qasr, Aleppo, on September 22nd which killed between five and 13 civilians, and wounded dozens more, were attributed to both regime forces and Russia aircraft by local media. Local sources identified five civilian victims, including two children.

Many reports stated that barrel bombs and phosphorus were used in the attack, leading to large fires.

According to a Syria News Desk post on Facebook, “four civilians were killed and more than a dozen others injured, some of them seriously, at dawn today [Sept 22nd], a result of Russian warplanes using mostly rockets loaded with phosphorous bombs on the neighbourhood of Bustan al Qasr.

Majid Alragi, one of the residents of the neighbourhood, told Syria News desk, “The wounded were taken to a field hospital in the region,” pointing out that civil defence teams extinguished a portion of the blaze, which burned some residential buildings, shops and cars, after working more than five hours while fire gutted three buildings.

Rescue workers attempting to put out the fire were reportedly limited by snipers stationed in the vicinity.

Other sources corroborated this account but claimed a higher number of civilian casualties. @eldorar1, @Daretezzamedia, and @24Aleppo tweeted that four civilians were killed, but reports from Orient News, Smart News, Dostor, and Youm7 suggested the number of dead ranged from 10 to 13.

DW News stated that among the dead were at least three children and three women.

Most sources alleged that the bombs and phosphorus were used in between 12 and 14 separate drops on the same location.

Al Jazeera and Orient News pointed to “a squadron of Russian aircraft”, while other sources referred to “Assad’s planes.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Muhannad Makhzoom
Adult male killed
Ayham Makhzoum
14 years old female daughter of Muhannad Makhzoom killed
Hana Makhzoom
5 months years old female daughter of Muhannad Makhzoom killed

The victims were named as:

Fatoun Ajabula
25 years old female killed
Hana Osman
50 years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (2–3 children2–3 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–24
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • News report about among others, the contested airstrikes on the neighborhood Bustan al Qasr, Aleppo (Al An TV)
  • Allegedly Russian or Syrian airstrikes targeted Bustan al Qasr area, Aleppo (via AlMajhar News)
  • Muhannad Makhzoom was reportedly one of the victims of the contested aerial bombardment on Bustan al Qasr, Aleppo (via Baladi Network)
  • Girl being rescued by the civil defence following the contested airstrikes targeting Bustan al Qasr, Aleppo(via Jsirtv)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (2–3 children2–3 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–24
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]