Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1956

Incident date

March 9, 2017

Location

الميادين, Al Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.016667, 40.444167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between seven and 30 civilians were killed, and as many as 100 were estimated to be injured, following an alleged airstrike on an educational complex. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Almost all sources attributed blame to the Russian warplanes, whilst the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the Syrian regime. Enabbaladi only reported that “fighter jets” carried out the airstrikes. 

An entire family including a man, woman and three children were killed when the missiles struck their home. According to Orient News, the civilians were mostly women and children.

According to local media, Al Jaish street was struck, which homed an educational complex named Al Moujama’a Al Tarbaoui, Al Baladya (bakery) and Al-Ameen Mosque.

Aljaish Street and its market were also reportedly caught in the raids, according to a local Twitter feed, @HadiAlabdallah. Allegedly the school was not being used as a school, but was housing hundreds of families of displaced Syrians and Iraqi refugees. Residential housing was also struck, which led to the collapse of three buildings on the families of civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 12 bombs were dropped on the vicinity. Another local source reported there were six raids in total.

Reportedly, civilians were being rescued from the rubble hours after the incident – and the death toll was expected to climb due to the severity of injuries.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Amer al-Basri
Age unknown injured
Khaldun al-Nur
Adult male injured
Wife of Khaldun al-Nur
Adult female injured
Adult male died on the 12th due to wounds sustained in this raid killed
Adult male died on the 14th due to wounds sustained in this raid killed
Adult male from al Tiba, died on the 16th due to wounds sustained in this raid killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 30
  • (3 children1 woman1–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–100
  • 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 (32) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Ali Khalifa al Faleh, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Mayadeen, 9th March 2017. (via Euphrates)
  • Omar al Turki, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Al Mayadeen, 9th March 2017. (via Euphrates)

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 March 1st - 31st 2017.

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
    7 – 30
  • (3 children1 woman1–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–100
  • 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 (32) [ collapse]