Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1685

Incident date

November 25, 2016

Location

تقاد, Taqad, western Aleppo counntryside, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1994732, 36.871233 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 12 and 50 civilians including women and children died and as many as dozens more were wounded in an airstrike on Taqad, Aleppo, according to sources on the ground. Multiple reports said that a mosque was struck and other civilian property damaged. The majority of sources attributed the event to Moscow, though there was one allegation against the Assad regime.

The Violations Documentation Center named 12 people as killed, including four children and four women. There were multiple victims from several families.

According to Alarabiya: “activists reported a horrific massacre in the town of Taqad in Aleppo as a result of being targeted by Russian aviation.” This source gave the highest death count of “about 50 worshippers”.

Most other reports, however, said between five and 14 people died.

SPM reported that “Russian planes committed a new massacre in which seven civilians, including five children, a woman and a man were killed during a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a perimeter of a mosque in the town of Takad during Friday prayers.”

Step News Agency said that the death toll had risen to 14 including four women and six children.

One source, HNN, pointed to the regime, claiming that “land to lad missiles injured several people and caused material damage” – though it made no mention of any fatalities.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Adult female killed
Adult male killed
Adult female

Family members (4)

Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12 – 50
  • (4–6 children4 women4 men)
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Reporting from the town of Taqad in the countryside of Western Aleppo in the immediate aftermath of being hit by contested airstrikes. The reporter says that at least ten civilians have been killed. (Baha’a al Halabi)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on Taqad, Nov 25th. (via @khaleedalkhteb tweet)
  • Images showing destruction following an alleged Russian raid on Taqad, Nov 25th.
  • Footage showing the aftermath of the airstrike in Taqad, Nov 25th. (via Jsirtv)
  • Footage showing the aftermath of the airstrike in Taqad, Nov 25th. (via This News Agency)
  • Ammar Natour was reportedly killed by airstrikes, carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime, in the city of Taqad, Aleppo (via Fawza-nahal)
  • Ammar Natour was reportedly killed by airstrikes, carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime, in the city of Taqad, Aleppo (via Fawza-nahal)
  • Ammar Natour was reportedly killed by airstrikes, carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime, in the city of Taqad, Aleppo (via Fawza-nahal)
  • Ammar Natour was reportedly killed by airstrikes, carried out by Russia or the Syrian regime, in the city of Taqad, Aleppo (via Fawza-nahal)

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
    12 – 50
  • (4–6 children4 women4 men)
  • 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 (22) [ collapse]