Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1604

Incident date

November 17, 2016

Location

المعادي, Al Ma'adi, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1914827, 37.1630799 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians including one child and one woman were reported killed in airstrikes on the al Ma’adi neighbourhood of Aleppo, according to multiple sources.

Whilst most sources reported that Russia were responsible for the raid, some have attributed responsibility to the regime.

The attack on al Ma’adi was part of a wider raid on the besieged neighbourhoods of Eastern Aleppo.

Shahba Press, who alongside ten other sources, claim that Russian jets were responsible for the attack, said: “there were three martyrs, including a child and a woman, in the Al-Maadi neighborhood, two in the transportation district, and other civilians were injured after Russian raids.”

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the strike hi a mosque. The source said: “Suspected Russian warplanes missiles fired on Barseen Mosque in Al Ma’adi neighborhood in Aleppo city, damaging its building and furniture, destroying its minaret and rendering it inoperable”.

Whilst most sources agreed that three people were killed in al Ma’adi, the Shaam network said that there were “two martyrs and a number of wounded in the Maadi district.”

However, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “shelling by regime forces with artillery shells and rockets targeted the neighborhoods of al-Ferdus, al-Maadi, Masaken Hanano, al-Salhin, Ansari, al-Mowasalat, Bustan al-Basha, Sheikh Faris and Nairab”, with 25 civilian casualties in total. 

The highest death count was given by @AleppoAMC at five civilians.

It is currently unknown how many were injured in the attack.

On responsibility for the attacks, Sky News Arabia said: “on Tuesday [Nov 17th], government forces resumed their air strikes on the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, coinciding with Russia’s announcement of a large-scale campaign in the provinces of Idlib and Homs (central).”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Photos showing aerial bombardment of the neighborhood of # Maadi in the city of # Aleppo, which resulted in the death of "3" civilians.
  • Translation: Civil defense teams are looking to reach a woman trapped in the rubble of her destroyed house by shelling the neighborhood of Maadi #حلب.
  • The aftermath of aerial bombardment on the neighbourhood of Maadi, in Aleppo., Nov 17th 2016 (Via: @alrqeebmohaemos)
  • The aftermath of aerial bombardment on the neighbourhood of Maadi, in Aleppo, Nov 17th 2016 (Via: @alrqeebmohaemos)
  • The remnants of Barseen Mosque in al Ma'adi, Aleppo, Nov 17th 2016 (Via: SN4HR)
  • Translation: watch - after 4 hours continuous work the civil defence pull out a child from under the rubble of his home destroyed by Russian raids on Al Ma’adi neighbourhood in besieged Aleppo.

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.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]