Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1809

Incident date

December 29, 2016

Location

دوما, Douma, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as 15 civilians were killed – including six children, two women and four adult males – and dozens were wounded, in alleged air and artillery strikes on Douma. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Some sources attributed blame to Russian warplanes, while others blamed the Syrian regime.

Reportedly, the raids struck a residential area including a school and the city square. Photographic evidence shows the extensive destruction to the buildings, civilian homes and the inside of the school.

One sources reported that the heavy shelling, which began in the morning and reoccurred throughout the day, included the use of both ground artillery and missiles.

Video evidence shows an ambulance taking wounded civilians to a medical facility in the immediate aftermath of the raid.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Adult male killed
Child female killed
Child female killed
Adult male killed
Child male killed
Child female killed
Child female killed
Adult female killed
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12 – 15
  • (6 children2 women4 men)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A dead child pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via @ousamamedia)
  • A news bulletin documenting the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via yaser alfawwal)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A wounded civilian is put into an ambulance before being carried to a medical facility in the aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via Syrian Civil Defense center Damascus countryside)
  • The exact moment an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid targeted Douma, 29th December 2016. (via @islamnedaa3)
  • The exact moment an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid targeted Douma, 29th December 2016. (via @islamnedaa3)
  • The outside of the school which was targeted in alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via Rasd-sy)
  • Saeed Emad Abdul Azeez, killed in alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via VDC)
  • Yassen Anees, killed in alleged Russian and Syrian regime raids on Douma, 29th December 2016. (via VDC)

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
    12 – 15
  • (6 children2 women4 men)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]