Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1635

Incident date

November 19, 2016

Location

حي الانصاري, Al-Ansari, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1529125, 37.075864 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Airstrikes targeting Aleppo’s Al Ansari neighbourhood reportedly killed between five and seven civilians and wounded up to dozens, reported local media – though sources disagreed as to whether the strikes were carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime.

None of the victims were identified by name, but most sources reported that the death toll was five, while others mentioned six and seven. Moreover, the strikes reportedly wounded between two and dozens more people.

Several sources mentioned that explosive barrels dropped by helicopters had been used in the shelling.

According to Micro News, “activists said that five civilians were killed on Saturday morning [Nov 19th] and dozens more were wounded when helicopter gunships fired explosive devices at a civilian defence centre in the Al Ansari district, causing considerable damage to the centre and surrounding buildings.”

Most of the known sources pointed to Russia as the culprit, while only one attributed blame on the Syrian regime.

The incident occured around dawn.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 7
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (2) [ collapse]

  • Footage of the destruction caused by the strikes on Al Ansari, Aleppo, Nov 19th (via Buraqa Media)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civil Defence rescuing civilians in the aftermath of the airstrikes on Al Ansari, Aleppo, Nov 19th (via SDC)

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
    5 – 7
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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]