Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1634

Incident date

November 18, 2016

Location

دوما , Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 20 civilians including four children died and dozens more were wounded in air or and artillery strikes on Douma, local media reported. The majority of sources blamed Russia, though Syriansnews said that “Russia and Assad” had launched multiple strikes on Damascus, including Douma, on this day.

Syrian Reporter said: “Our correspondent in al-Ghouta al-Sharqiyah said that air raids and artillery shelling continued since 7 pm on Thursday on the cities of Douma, Harsta and Arbeen.

“The death toll had risen to more than 20 – mostly children – and most of them in the city of Duma, which received the largest share of the bombing.”

Smart News Agency added” “In the countryside of Damascus, the mosques of the city of Duma today [Nov 18th] called for the cancellation of the Friday prayers, coinciding with an air and artillery bombardment”.

Among the named fatalities were three children and their mother.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Karam al-Wazir
Child killed
Kadi al-Wazir
Child killed
Obada al-Wazir
Child killed
Adult female Mother of the above three children killed

The victims were named as:

Child Reportedly wounded and requiring a jaw operation. injured
Adult male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Douma, Eastern Ghouta (دوما ), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.5714804, 36.4033699. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (4 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The aftermath of the strikes on Douma, including images of dead children.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    'Yamin is a child who was injured today in the eastern Gouta and needs a jaw operation'.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Khaled Turk, killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th.
  • Said Marjan "Pepper", killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th (via Douma.Revolution.2011)
  • Said Marjan "Pepper", killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th (via Douma.Revolution.2011)

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.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (4 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]