Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1585

Incident date

November 15, 2016

Location

الأتارب, Al Atarib , Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1375975, 36.8284035 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and three civilians died in airstrikes on Al Atareb hospital according to multiple local sources. Orient and Al Jazeera and most other sources, blamed Russia for the incident. The hospital is now out of service including the operating rooms and pharmacy according to Al Jazeera who also alleged a number of medical personnel were injured.

Bombing of the hospital in Al Atareb was part of an aerial campaign where three hospitals in Aleppo were struck including Baghdad Hospital in Aweijal and a hospital in the town of Kafarnaha.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the hospital was struck by five consecutive raids damaging ambulances, injuring a woman and destroying her home. The source did not attribute blame and mentioned only “warplanes”. Masaralarabi however blamed both the Regime and Russia for the attacks. 

DW news reported the Director of National Defense in the city of Atareb, Ali Goma, told the German news agency (DPA), “Russian warplanes launched a missile attack on the space of the hospital and surrounding houses, killing three civilians and wounding others, including a number of medical staff”.

The majority of sources blamed Russia, some did not identify a culprit, and a small number referred to the Syrian regime.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Jamila Abdallah Sido
5 years old killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the destruction in Al Atarib hospital after suspected Russian attacks, November 15th (via Orient)
  • Video shows destruction of the secondary school in the city of Atarib in the western Aleppo countryside, November 15th (via Step News)
  • A hospital room in Al Atarib covered in dust, following alleged airstrikes, November 15th (via Aljarida)
  • A burnt out ambulance in in Al Atarib, the impact of alleged Russian strikes, November 15th (via DW)
  • Jamilah Abdullah Sido was killed in suspected Russian airstrikes on the hospital at Al Atarib, November 15th (via @kalimahorra1)
  • A photograph of Al Atarib hospital after Russian airstirkes allegedly struck, November 15th (via SNHR)

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

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 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.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]