Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS173

Incident date

November 20, 2015

Location

الزباري, Zubari, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.12003, 40.40713 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Violations Documentation Center reported that 25 non-combatants, including 13 women and one child, were killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Zubari. Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently also posted a video showing the moment of the attack which it blamed on ‘Russian aviation.’ Also, Free Deir Ezzor Broadcast claimed the attack involved Russian ballistic missiles, which “left more than 40 people dead and injured, all of them civilians, and the destruction of approximately 20 per cent of the townhouses completely and almost completely.”

However, Smart News and the Syrian Network blamed Assad regime aircraft, while local media activist Ahmad al Horani insisted the attack be by French aircraft working with the Coalition.

The Violations Documentation Center has named the 25 fatalities.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (12)

Family members (3)

Family members (5)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    25
  • (1 child13 women11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–40
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Deir al-Zubari: The moment Russian air strikes on the village of Mund Zaman (via Ahmed Ramdan)
  • an image of one of the victim (via All 4 Syria)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia reported that “On November 20, the ships of the Caspian flotilla performed launches of 18 cruise missiles against 7 targets in the Raqqah, Idlib and Aleppo provinces. All the aims were hit.” It added that “29 aircraft of long-range and bomber aviation made strikes from the zone of the Caspian Sea,” though gave no details of the areas targeted.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    25
  • (1 child13 women11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–40
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]