Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2229

Incident date

May 11, 2017

Location

عقيربات, Akeirbat, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.0412099, 37.464692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three or four civilians were killed – three from one family – and others were wounded, when an airstrike hit a residential neighbourhood, farm and water-tank in Akeirbat, local media reported. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Some sources such as Baladi news, blamed Russian warplanes for the airstrikes, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights pointed to the “Syrian-Russian alliance”. Many other sources didn’t identify the “military aircraft” responsible.

Baladi News and other sources reported that a man, his wife and child were killed in the airstrike on the vicinity. Allegedly, the warplanes struck the residential neighbourhood including a farm and later moved on to target the water tank in the neighbourhood, which led to complete destruction of the structure, with no casualties.

There were no reports with specific numbers of injured civilians, however the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that those who were injured were in a serious condition.

Other sources such as Syrian-mirror put the death toll at four. They also reported there was “material damage to public and private property”. 

SOHR noted that the vicinity was under the control of ISIS.

Rfsmediaoffice specified that Russian RPG was used in the raid. 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Akeirbat (عقيربات), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.0412099, 37.464692. 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
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

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 May 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
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]