(Previous Incident Code: R1590)

In a major civilian casualty event, up to 38 civilians including as many as 11 children died and dozens more were wounded when alleged Russian or Assad regime warplanes struck a major vegetable market in the town of Maarat al Numan. Sources said that the strike occurred at 2.45pm, when the market – which also sold “motorcycles, spare parts and car accessories” – was at its busiest.

Multiple sources published images depicting widespread destruction, which reportedly resulted in severe damage to as many as 40 shops.

Many sources blamed the Assad regime. According to the Smart News Agency, “25 civilians were killed and about 50 others were injured on Sunday night [Dec 4th] following an aerial bombardment of the vegetable market in the town of Ma’arat al-Nu’man, a southern suburb of Idlib. Aircraft of the regime launched a raid on the market, with rockets, killing and wounding about 75 civilians, including five children and three women in the initial death toll”.

Syrian Human Rights Committee, also pointing to the regime, put the death toll at 35 with dozens more injured. The Syrian Network for Human Rights, the White Helmets and Syrian Press Center also attributed the event to Assad.

However, Alarabita, Homs News24 and Zaitonmag said that Russia was responsible, as did the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who reported that there were “38 civilians confirmed dead including five children and six persons from the same family including a woman”.

There was some confused reporting from the Step News Agency, who initially pointed to Russia but then to the regime.

Aljazeera and the Shaam News Network reported that both Russian and Syrian aircraft were the culprits.