Incident Code

RS1489

Location

Ma'arzita, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.555418, 36.573707
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: R1356)

One or two civilians including a woman and her child died and an unspecified number more were wounded in an airstrike on Ma’arzita, according to sources on the ground – though it was unclear whether Russia or the Syrian regime were to blame.

Intensive strikes were reported in the area, with sources reporting that both the regime and Russia had carried out actions.

Most reports put the death toll in Ma’arzita at one. Both the Step News Agency and @syriapost1 said that a woman had died.

@HamahNow reported “the martyrdom of a woman and her child from Halfaya in the countryside of Hama following a bombing by military aircraft on Ma’arzita today [Oct 20th]”.

Radio AlKul mentioned the use of “surface missiles” in their reporting of the incident.

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
1–2
1 Child, 1 Woman
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ma’arzita, for which the generic coordinates are: 35.555418, 36.573707. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Russian Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Russian Military
Russian Military position on incident
Not yet assessed
Russian Military Strike Report
On 20th October 2016, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported on the decisions made aimed towards stabilising the situation in Aleppo. ""Today, strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force are finished at 10:00 (MSK) in the area of Aleppo. Early termination of the airstrikes is essential for holding a “humanitarian pause” on October 20, 2016”, said General of the Army Sergei Shoigu. According to him, it will allow to guarantee security of civilians leaving the city through 6 humanitarian corridors and to prepare casualty and medical evacuation from the eastern part of Aleppo. “We apply to the leadership of countries influencing on armed formations active in the eastern part of Aleppo with a proposal to convince their leaders to stop warfare and leave the city,” stated the Minister of Defence. According to General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, by the start of the “humanitarian pause” the Syrian troops will have been withdrawn to the distance safe for insurgents to leave the city with weapons through two special corridors: one – along the Kastello road, second – in the area of Suk al-Hai market."
Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (2)