Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1750

Incident date

December 6, 2016

Location

السحارة, Al Sahara, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1816318, 36.8195627 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and others were wounded in four alleged raids on Al Sahara, Aleppo. Sources are conflicted as to who was to blame, with some blaming Russian warplanes and others blaming the Syrian regime. 

Most sources reported that phosphorous bombs and cluster bombs were used in the attack. Additionally, one source claimed that the shelling was continuous.

Civil Defence services collected many of the bomb shells in order to protect civilians. They issued a warning saying,”Civil defence teams wish civilians to be more careful and not to tamper with all the ammunition and un-exploded bombs for their own safety.”

It was additionally added that civilian homes experienced the most extensive damage.

The incident occured around midnight.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A member of the White Helmets gathers all of the cluster bomb shells in the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Sahara,. Aleppo, 6th December 2016. (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • The exact moment a phosphorous bombs targeted Al Sahara, Aleppo, 6th December 2016. (via Khaledalkhatib)

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 December 1st – 31st 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
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]