Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS245

Incident date

December 9, 2015

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr al Shughour, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.81425, 36.319812 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Nine civilians including four women and five children were killed in an airstrike on the village of Mraand, according to multiple sources – though reports were conflicted as to whether the attack was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

The Shaam News Network said that eight non-combatants died as a result of a Russian missile targeting the village. It added that there were four consecutive strikes, two of them targeting civilian homes and killing women and children, while the other two strikes were on the outskirts of the village.

According to SNN: “Jisr Al Shoughour and its countryside suffer a near daily campaign of aerial bombing and missile by Russian warplanes targeting the city and towns and areas adjacent to the Mountain of the Kurds in the western rural areas of Jisr Al Shoughour.”

The White Helmets took the injured to medical points, although SNN said this proved difficult due to a lack of available ambulances and equipment required to lift heavy debris. The Violations Documentation Centre also listed the victims as having died in Russian shelling.

But in a short news item the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the regime, putting the death toll at eight including three women and five children.

Nine victims were named by the Violations Documentation Centre.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Rafa Mezweq
Adult female killed
Ahmad Mezweq
Child male killed
Ahlam Mezweq
Child killed

Family members (4)

Adnan Hussain Haj Kheder
Child male killed
Wife of Hussain Haj Kheder
Adult female killed
Daughter of Hussain Haj Kheder 1
Child female killed
Daughter of Hussain Haj Kheder 2
Child female killed

The victims were named as:

Amount Murad
Adult female killed
Hala Mohammad
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Jisr al Shughour (جسر الشغور), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.81425, 36.319812. 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
    9
  • (5 children4 women)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of its strikes in Syria between December 4th-8th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (5 children4 women)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]