Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between five and 12 civilians were killed, and up to 50 more were wounded in an airstrike which struck a food convoy in Afrin, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame for the raids. Some held Russia accountable, others reported the warplane was unidentifiable, and one source blamed Turkey.
Images showed that cars and lorries were burned in the raid, additionally some video evidence showed the wounded in a field hospital in the aftermath of the alleged airstrike.
One source reported that 10 rockets were launched on the vicinity, which is why the number of wounded was so high.
The Violations Documentation Center was among the majority of sources in attributing the event to Russia.
DW News reported that there were claims that Turkey was responsible. Citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, it said that “at least 12 people died and 50 were wounded in an explosion in the village of Ghazawiya, part of the Kurdish region of Afrin. The cause of the blast remains unclear. While pro-opposition websites have accused Russian planes of responsibility, Kurdish sources said the warplanes were Turkish. Neither of the allegations could be verified.”
Pukmedia noted that a military offier, Ahmed Tubal, was killed. The source said: “The martyr Ahmed Tubal, was born in Afrin, in the village of Ma’arska in 1961, and was demobilized in the Syrian army. He was then a rank of leader, on charges of belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party, continued his political activity and joined the Kurdish front and then joined the Asayish forces, and received the humanitarian crossing of Gaza until his death.”
The incident occured at approximately 8:15 am local time.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (16) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]
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Ahmed Tubal, a military leader who was killed in the raid. (via Pukmedia)
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The missile which was dropped on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via @SyrianRevolutin)
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The missile which was dropped on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via @SyrianRevolutin)
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An injured civilian receives medical treatment in the aftermath of an alleged raid on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via News of the Kurdesh daily) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
An injured civilian receives medical treatment in the aftermath of an alleged raid on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via News of the Kurdesh daily) -
An injured civilian receives medical treatment in the aftermath of an alleged raid on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via News of the Kurdesh daily)
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An injured civilian receives medical treatment in the aftermath of an alleged raid on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via News of the Kurdesh daily)
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An injured civilian receives medical treatment in the aftermath of an alleged raid on Afrin, 13th November 2016. (via News of the Kurdesh daily)
Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.
On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones”.
Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.