Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1972

Incident date

March 15, 2017

Location

القصور, Al Qusour neighbourhood, Idlib city, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

34.745632, 36.710601 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between eight and 39 civilians were killed, and dozens more were injured, following a raid which targeted residential housing in Al Qusour neighbourhood, Idlib city, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame, with some attributing blame to Russia and others to the Syrian regime. Various sources blamed both parties for the raid.

Al Jazeera reported that an entire four story building collapsed following a targeted attack with a missile strike. A whole family of eight displaced civilians were allegedly killed.

Another figure estimated that as many as 13 people were the same family were killed, including a doctor. Other sources reported that the missile used was highly explosive, resulting in huge amounts of material damage. There were also reports of the use of vacuum missiles.

According to sources, as many as ten people were trapped under the rubble, and up to 20 people were allegedly missing in the immediate aftermath of the raid. Photographic evidence shows members of the White Helmets searching for missing victims in the rubble.

Details of the incident were published in a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights on April 11th, almost a month after the attack. “On Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at approximately 03:25, fixed-wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired two missiles in no less than five minutes that targeted two sites of a close proximity. The first missile targeted a multi-floor residential building in al Qosour neighborhood in the southern parts of Idlib city, which resulted in the killing of 24 civilians including 15 children, one infant, and six adult females. Most of the victims were IDPs from Aleppo suburbs. Additionally, the building was heavily destroyed. The second missile fell nearly 100 meters from the same residential building.”

Furthermore the report gave details from the victims, “Mahmoud al Sayeh, a doctor from Aleppo suburbs, lost all of his family -seven children and their mother- in the massacre. Mahmoud, whom we contacted via WhatsApp, told us that he woke up to the sound of a warplane soaring. A few minutes later, he heard the missile ripple and his children’s screams for help: “The missile was directed, and it wasn’t a free-fall missile. The rubble piled up on me, but I was hardly managed to dig a small crack in the rock rubble to breath. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of civil defense vehicles and ambulances, which was followed by a second missile.” 

Mohammad added that he remained under the rubble for nearly two and half hours until the civil defense pulled him out and took him to the medical center: “I sustained fractures in my ribs and my right leg. I was the only one to survive from my family. Russia has killed them all.” 

“Ahmad Rahhal, a local media activist, told SN4HR, via Facebook, that he was able to distinguish the Russian warplanes from their voice and the high altitude at which they were flying, and also through the observatory that determined that the warplane took off from Hmeimim. Ahmad added that he went to where the two missiles fell in al Qosour neighborhood and saw the targeted residential building that was turned into rubble: “I arrived in al Qosour neighborhood a few minutes after the first attack. The warplane was soaring above the neighborhood and fired a second missile that fell near the destroyed building. I saw the civil defense pulling out victims’ dead bodies and the injured. There was one among the injured whose hand was amputated. I saw the civil defense save two children from under the rubble.” 

Omar al Mkahhal, a member of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, told SNHR that civil defense and Red Crescent teams pulled out more than 20 dead bodies from the rubble including two doctors from al Bab city in Aleppo suburbs who fled to Idlib city recently: “The Russian warplanes were who carried out the airstrikes at dawn. The sound of the explosion was too high although the bombardment was with only one missile.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

12 years old from the city of Bab killed
16 years old from the city of Bab killed
13 years old from the city of Bab killed
11 years old from the city of Bab killed
10 years old from the city of Bab killed
7 years old from the city of Bab killed
6 years old from the city of Bab killed
5 years old from the city of Bab killed
3 years old from the city of Bab killed
2 years old from the city of Bab killed
47 years old Engineer from the city of Bab killed

The victims were named as:

14 years old killed
Adult female killed
3 years old female killed
2 years old female killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Child female two days old killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Adult female from Andan killed
2 years old from Andan killed
Child female killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
67 years old killed
6 years old killed
32 years old killed
11 years old killed
1 years old male killed
Child killed
Child killed
Age unknown killed
Child killed
Age unknown male killed
60 years old from Andan killed
23 years old female pregnant from Andan killed
3 years old from Andan killed
37 years old pregnant killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 39
  • (4–16 children4–6 women2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (49) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (41) [ collapse]

  • A search for the missing in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Al Jazeera Arabic)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A search for the missing in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Al Jazeera Mubasher)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty is pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty is pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Thiqa agency)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An injured civilian is pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via AleppoAMC)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Wounded and dead civilians are pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via White helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Efforts continue into the night to search for missing victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Baladi News)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty is pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Ma’ara Media Center)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Enabbaladi)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Al Jazeera)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Syrian-mirror)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Zaitonmag)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Syrian-reporter)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Syrian-reporter)
  • A man trapped under the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Syrian-reporter)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Syrian-reporter)
  • Rand Al-Sayeh, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @kalimahorra1)
  • Khadija Mustafa Nassif, killed in an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @adnanmodlej)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @ShehabAgency)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @ShehabAgency)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @ShehabAgency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @ShehabAgency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @SafaPs)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @SafaPs)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @SafaPs)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via @SafaPs)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Idlib media centre)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Idlib media centre)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Idlib media centre)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Idlib media centre)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Step news agency)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via LCCSY)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via LCCSY)
  • A search for victims in the aftermath of an alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via White helmets)
  • Location of the residential building targeted. (via SN4HR)
  • Victims of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Mostafa Al Sayh)
  • Victims of the alleged Russian and Syrian regime raid on Idlib city, 15th March 2017. (via Mostafa Al Sayh)

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 strikes between March 1st – 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 39
  • (4–16 children4–6 women2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (49) [ collapse]