Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1591

Incident date

November 16, 2016

Location

حي السكري, Sukkari (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.17594, 37.14111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eleven civilians reportedly died in Al Sukkari, Aleppo, following a suspected Russian attack, however most sources reported only six killed. Numerous sources, including, Aleppo24 said that of those six four were children. 

Sdusyria listed various neighbourhoods of Aleppo struck by “Assad forces” and a “Russian airliner” – it counted 11 dead in Al Sukkari.

Annahar blamed Russia for the attacks whilst Al Jazeera did not name the culprit and referred only to “explosives and space rockets”. The news outlet said six were killed. @ShahbaPress and @Shahed_alep also suspected six killed – including four children, though neither source identified the culprit. 

Syrian News Desk said eight died in Al Sukkari – including two children. The source explained the raid on the neighboorhood was part of a larger offensive on areas over Aleppo in which numerous civilians died.

@Abohraid007 posted a very graphic photograph of one of the victims and attributed blame to three parties, “Assad”, “Iran”, and “Russia”. 

@3rj5oPnn2XeKaYg said both Russia and the Regime bombed the neighbourhood.

Rasd named four of the victims and said an addition two children, unnamed, died at the “headquarters of the ‘Illegal Medicine’ “.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mu’tassam Bare’ Hijazi
5 years old killed
Bare’ Ahmad Hijazi
35 years old killed

The victims were named as:

Mahmood Mansour bin Adeeb
13 years old male killed
Malak Dahrouj
12 years old killed
Maher Badawi bin Abdulqadir
45 years old male killed
Rabie Assani bin Abdo
40 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 11
  • (2–4 children2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–40
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military, Iranian Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the destruction in Al Sukkari following suspected Russian strikes - the source suspected five families under the rubble. November 16th (via Syrian Civil Defense)
  • A building in Al Sukkari destroyed by suspected Russian shelling, November 16th (via Aleppo24)
  • A digger in action in the Al Sukkari neighbourhood, cleaning up the damage caused by alleged Russian strikes, November 16th (via Aleppo24)
  • The White Helmet rescue team at the scene in Al Sukkari following suspected Russian shelling, November 16th (via 24Aleppo)
  • A street scene in Al Sukkari reveals the material damage caused in alleged Russian strikes, November 16th (via Aleppo24)
  • Locals walk down a road in Al Sukkari after alleged Russian attacks, November 16th (via Aleppo24)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A very graphic photograph of a girl killed in alleged Russian shelling on Al Sukkari, November 16th (via @Abohraid007)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The White Helmets rescue civilians from the destruction caused by alleged Russian strikes on Al Sukkari, November 16th (via @3rj5oPnn2XeKaYg)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A little girl, one of the dead in Al Sukkari - the source cited both Russia and the Regime, November 16th (@3rj5oPnn2XeKaYg)

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.

Iranian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 11
  • (2–4 children2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–40
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military, Iranian Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]