Incident Code

RS1783

Location

دوما, Douma, Damascus, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699
Accuracy: City

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: RS1638)

Up to six civilians, including two children, were killed and as many as 24 more were wounded following air or artillery or mortar strikes targeting Douma, Damascus, local sources reported. Sources, however, were unclear as to whether Russia or the Syrian regime carried out the strikes.

Sources reported the death of between one and six civilians, and all six victims were identified by name, including two children.

One of the victims,  Hassan al-Mahash, was reportedly a media activist for the Civil Defence. Another victim, Al Haj Mohammad Deeb Muhi al Deen Sariyou, reportedly died on December 13th 2016 from wounds sustained during the strikes on December 11th.

SMO News and Zamanalwasl  reported that Douma was targeted by both warplanes, mortar shelling, artillery and land-to-land missiles, inflicting heavy damage on civilian infrastructure.

The majority of the sources blamed the Syrian regime while a few attributed the strike to Russia.

Victims

Family members (2)

Mustafa al Tinawi
Child male killed
Mohammed al-Tinawi
Child male killed

Invidivuals

Hassan al-Mahash
Adult male killed
Mohammed Berghash
Adult male killed
Kassem Ramadan
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male Died the following days due the his wounds caused by this event's airstrikes killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
1–6
2 Children, 1 Man
Civilians reported injured
20–24

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Douma, Damascus (دوما), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.5714804, 36.4033699. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed
Russian Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Russian Military
Russian Military position on incident
Not yet assessed
Russian Military Strike Report
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.”

Media From Sources (8)