Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1693

Incident date

November 26, 2016

Location

منطقة الكسارة , Al Kassara area in the Sakhour neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.566356, 39.917257 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and 14 civilians were killed and dozens of others were wounded in alleged Russia or Assad regime airstrikes against the Al Kassara area in the Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, according to sources on the ground.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported the low estimate of three deaths while Halab News listed that 14 civilians were killed but their identities were not known. The conflicting reports may have been due to the time of reporting as many sources said that civilians remained trapped under the rubble at the time of the reporting.

The majority of local sources, including @ShahbaPress, attributed the airstrikes to Russian airplanes.

However, Ara News reported that the regime forces were responsible for the casualties after dropping explosive barrels on the town of Al Kassara. In addition, Smart News stated that both Russian and regime forces were responsible for airstrikes in the area without specifying which carried out the airstrikes on Al Kassara.

A graphic video posted by @Joudyalhalaby included the bodies of at least three of the victims of the airstrikes, which had suffered violent injuries.

The incident occured at approximately 12:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 14
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    'Al-Sakhour neighborhood in Aleppo After heavy shelling +18'

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
    3 – 14
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]