Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2114

Incident date

April 11, 2017

Location

كفرزيتا , Kafr Zita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.374143, 36.601896 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that one child died and several others were wounded in an airstrike on Kafr Zita. All sources but one blamed Russia.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights also pointed to the regime, reporting that “the child Abdullah Mostafa Arafat, age 6, was killed when the Syrian- Russian alliance warplanes missiles fired on Kafr Zita city in Hama governorate northern suburbs on April 11, 2017.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Abdullah Mostafa Arafat
Child male A victim of "Russian cluster bombs" killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Kafr Zita (كفرزيتا ), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.374143, 36.601896. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Translation: 'Bombing with internationally banned cluster bombs on the town of Kfar Zeita in rural Hama, 2017/4/11'
  • Footage of graves of those killed in a bombing on Kafr Zita, April 11th. (via Asi Press)
  • Abdullah Mostafa Arafat , killed in an alleged Russian cluster bomb attack on Kafr Zita, April 119th Ivia VDC)
  • Abdallah Mostafa Arafat (via SN4HR)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]