Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1799

Incident date

December 28, 2016

Location

بسيمة, Basima, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.604754, 36.200209 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and “dozens” more were wounded – including a member of the Syrian Civil Defence – in air and artillery strikes on Basima, local media reported. All sources blamed the Syrian regime for the alleged raids, except LCCSY and Syrian Press Center who attributed them to Russian warplanes.

Only one source – Skynewsarabia- reported on the death of a civilian, but many others did allude to the injury of multiple civilians.

Additionally, Skynewsarabia did not specify where this civilian was killed: “A civilian was also killed and others were injured, including a civil defence volunteer, following the bombing of Syrian warplanes on the villages of Basima, Dir Muqrin and Ayn al-Fijah”.

This was reportedly the sixth day in a row that the area had faced aerial bombardments by both warplanes and helicopters. Raids had reportedly “coincided with clashes between the rebels and the regime forces”.

Reports suggested there were as many as 20 raids on the vicinity, with 15 explosive barrel bombs being used, and “dozens of rockets”. Later sources additionally reported the use of cluster bombs and artillery.

Allegedly, Murqin Monastery was struck and partially destroyed in the raid, as were the city’s water-pipes. There was reportedly extensive damage to the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The exact moments air and artillery strikes hit Basima, 28th December 2016. (via Qasioun news Agency)

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.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]