Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1324

Incident date

September 23, 2016

Location

بشقاتين, Bishqatin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2036137, 36.9954354 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least sixteen civilians from two families were killed, and “dozens” more wounded in airstrikes on the village of Bishqatin, located in the countryside west of Aleppo, according to local media. The majority of sources blamed Russia, though one report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights mentioned Syrian regime involvement.

Jaafr M Deen 01Halab News’ list of martyrs for the strike numbered 16 casualties, most of which matched the names on the @Syriamubasher list.

Sky News Arabia corroborated these reports, stating, “the air strikes on Bishqatin resulted in the death of “a man and his wife and child and a woman and five of her children and another woman and her five children.”

Alghad News also referred to the death of 12 individuals from one family. These reports, and the names of the dead, suggest that the two families were related.

Other news outlets put the number of dead higher. @baladinetwork tweeted that 16 in total were killed, and posted several pictures of local workers using a bulldozer to sift through the rubble.

Zamanalwasl News put the death toll still higher at 17. @Shahbapress tweeted that the strikes “martyred 19 civilians, including women and children, and injured about 30 others.”

According to Eldorar News, “the air strikes targeted a house which consisted of two floors with displaced families.”

The White Helmets posted a video to YouTube in which three children are pulled, alive but bloodied, out of the rubble. A fourth body, which looks to be of a prepubescent boy, is retrieved dead and wrapped in a carpet.

While most sources blamed Russia for this event, the Syrian Network for Human Rights attributed it to “government warplanes” and “allies”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

Aliaa Omar Ali
Child killed
Mohammed Omar Ali
Child killed
Alia Ali Ali
Child killed
Mariam Omar Ali
Child killed
Maram Omar al Ali
Child killed
Hassan Omar Ali
Child killed
Omar Ali Maram
Child killed
Mohammed Ali Al-Ali
Child killed
The mother - Fatima Ahmed Ammuna
Adult female killed
Marwa Ali Ali
Child killed
Rola Ali Ali
Child killed

Family members (4)

Mohammed Hussein Ibn Hussein
Age unknown male killed
Omar Hussein Mohammed Hussein Ali
11 months years old killed
Hussein Mohammed Hussein Ali
34 years old male killed
Rima Omar El Haaj Omar
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Kifaa Abdulaziz Mustafa
Age unknown killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bishqatin (بشقاتين), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.2036137, 36.9954354. 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
    16 – 21
  • (11 children2–3 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–30
  • 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 (42) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • The White Helmets work through the rubble in Bishqatin - the impact of alleged Russian warplane shelling, Sept 23rd (Youtube via AMC)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians pulled from under the rubble in Bishqatin by The White Helmet rescue team. The aftermath of suspected Russian airstrikes, Sept 23rd(Youtube via Thiqa)
  • A reporter at the scene in Bishqatin following alleged Russian airstrikes, Sept 23rd (Youtube via Jaafr M Deen 01)
  • Rubble and destruction on the streets of Bishqatin, Sept 23rd (via @AleppoAMC)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very distressing images of child victims of alleged Russian warplane shelling in Bishqatin, Sept 23rd (via @salqin)
  • Photographs of The White Helmet resuce mission in Bishqatin (via @baladinetwork)
  • Members of The White Helmets search for victims of alleged Russian warplane massacre in Bishqatin (via @RevolutionSyria)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The White Helmets pull multiple child victims from underneath a destroyed building in Bishqatin, Sept 23rd (via The White Helmets)

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
    16 – 21
  • (11 children2–3 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–30
  • 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 (42) [ collapse]