Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1607

Incident date

November 17, 2016

Location

بستان الباشا, Bustan al Basha neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.226481, 37.168787 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and five civilians were killed in an air raid on the district of Bustan al Basha, Aleppo, according to local media. While the majority of sources attributed the event to Russia, there were also reports that the regime had been active over the neighbourhood on this day.

Syria News Desk reported that “at least five civilians were killed in Bustan al Basha [when] Russian warplanes targeted more than 50 areas under the control of the opposition in Aleppo and its countryside areas.”

A tweet from Syria News Time at 06:13 put the death toll at two civilians. However, a later tweet, at 12:28 from Shahba Press, said that the death toll had risen to five.

HNN listed five unidentified civilians as killed “following Russian enemy raids”.

However, @aleppo_on_line said that explosive barrels – a weapon known to be used by the regime – had been dropped on the neighbourhood, while @AksAlsear pointed to both “Assad and Putin’s planes”.

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

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Translation: +18 Russian & Syrian Regimes crimes in #Aleppo 17-11-2016
  • Translation: 'destruction in Bustan Al Basha district as a result of bombing by an explosive barrel'
  • Aftermath of raids on Bustan al Basha, Aleppo, Nov 17th 2016 (Via: Shahba Press)

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
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]