Alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes at al-Hawaij river crossing in Deir Ezzor killed between seven and 26 civilians and wounded between two and 24 others, according to sources on the ground. Sources blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime.
The civilians were reported to have been crossing from one side of the Euphrates to the other when the bombs hit their boats.
Many people were killed at the river crossings on this day, and there are multiple crossings, therefor it is unclear who died where on which day.
Deir Ezzor 24 reported the use of cluster bombs, saying that ‘people were unable to withdraw the [bodies of the] martyrs and the wounded as a result of the continuous shelling’. Deir Ezzor 24’s Mohammad Hassan said that the death toll was likely to rise, and that many bodies were seen floating in the river.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least seven were killed, including four children and as many as 76 were wounded, including 30 children.
Smart News and the Syrian Network for Human Rights said that implicated the Syrian regime’s forces in the shelling in addition to the Russian forces.
White phosphorous bombs were reportedly used by some local media.
The identities of those killed are unclear, with sources identifying the same victims in two different attacks in the area – one in the Hawaij river crossing, and the other in al-Kharita.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members
(6)
Fatumah Al-Ahmad Al-Ahli
Age unknown
female
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Hasan al-Jassem al-Ahli
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Bushra Hasan al-Jassim al-Ahli
Age unknown
female
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Abdullah Hassan Al-Jassem Al-Ahl
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Mohammad Nur al-Jassim al-Ahli
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Khaled Atallah Al-Jassem Al-Ahli
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Family members
(2)
Melhem Sultan
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well; was a mechanic acc to R2281
killed
Abdullah Melhem Sultan
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Family members
(2)
Jihad Hussein al-Hamad
Age unknown
male
verified by a second source in this event, but listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
mother of Jihad Hussein al-Hamad
Age unknown
female
killed
The victims were named as:
Muhammad Amin al-Tammawi
Age unknown
male
verified by a second source in this event, but listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Mohamed Taha Al-Awaid
Age unknown
male
verified by a second source in this event, but listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Mohammed Taha Al-Awaid
Age unknown
male
could be a repeat of the previous person, unless it’s two people with the same name
killed
Abdullah Fadel Al-Taha
Age unknown
male
resident of al Kharita; verified by a second source in this event, but listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Hakem Ahmed al-Hamdaki
Age unknown
male
resident of al Kharita (different source says he’s from al Zoghair)
killed
Hamad Musa al-Husain
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Mohammed Ismail al-Hussein
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Buhayra Mohammed Ismail al-Hussein
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Wa'im Jabir Yassin al-Amer
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Ayesha Ahmed al-Hussein
Age unknown
female
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Hassan Saleh Aldbaan
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Wadha Ameer al-Abdullah
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Ahmed Diab Al-Issa
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Aysha Muhammad al-'Uwaid
Age unknown
female
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Hajj al-Ahmad al-Hamdki
Age unknown
male
listed by another source earlier, but could be a different person in the family. Also listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Osama Ali Awad al-Hilu
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Abdi al-Ali al-Hammadi
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Jassim Mohammed al-Dahadi
Age unknown
male
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Ammar al-Husain al-Mousa
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Turki al-Mahmood
Age unknown
listed as a victim in R2281 as well
killed
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of al-Hawaij river crossing (قرية الحوايج), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.0528105, 40.4941326. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
