Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1807

Incident date

December 29, 2016

Location

عربين, Arbeen, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.538143, 36.364331 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as four civilians were killed – including three children and one woman reportedly from the same family – and up to 19 were wounded in an airstrike on a primary school in Arbeen, local media said.

Three belligerents were reportedly sighted, meaning there is confusion among sources as to who is responsible. Two sources blamed Russian warplanes, others the Syrian regime. Some sources did not attribute any blame.

Upsetting footage showed tens of children running, screaming from the school through the rubble in a chaotic fashion. The footage also showed partial damage to the school building.

More video evidence showed the White Helmets pulling an injured child from the rubble who was buried alive due to the raids.

According to @almasaronline, as many as “19 were killed and wounded in the bombing of a primary school in the countryside of Damascus”. This was the highest casualty figure from the event.

A source published footage of the burial of the victims in the aftermath of the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Adult male killed
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–19
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Children run screaming from their school which was bombed by alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Arbeen, 29th December 2016. (via Unified Media Office in Arbeen City)
  • Chaos as children run screaming from their school which was bombed by alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Arbeen, 29th December 2016. White Helmets run into the scene to look for trapped civilians. (via SDC)
  • The aftermath of a attack on a primary school which was bombed by alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Arbeen, 29th December 2016. White Helmets run into the scene to look for trapped civilians. (via braa abo yhea)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child who was burred alive is pulled from the rubble and transported to hospital in an ambulance in the aftermath of a attack on a primary school which was bombed by alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Arbeen, 29th December 2016. (via SCD)

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 infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–19
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]