Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2485

Incident date

September 21, 2017

Location

خان شيخون, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.440813, 36.6493607 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and nine civilians, including one to four women and one to four children, were killed and others were wounded in alleged Russian ore regime airstrikes against the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib.

The civilians that were killed were from the same family, with Smart News Agency reporting that they were a mother, father, and child. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that they were three children and two women.

VDC however, listed two separate families as victims, including five members of al mazbouh family and three from al munzir family.

SN4HR reported that “at least 3 civilians (a girl and her parents), IDPs from Khattab town in Hama governorate northwestern suburbs, killed in suspected Russian warplanes missiles fired on al Gharbi neighborhood”.

The family had been internally displaced from the town of Khattab in Hama. A report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published the day after the incident increased the number of killed to nine.

The majority of sources that reported on the incident, including Smart News Agency and Shaam Network, reported that Russian planes were responsible for carrying out the airstrikes. Khan Sheikhan Today did not include who was to blame for the airstrikes.

However the journalist Mohammad salom al abd said that the had carried out a strike on Khan Sheikhoun, while the White Helmets and Wissal TV blamed regime strikes for the death of five civilians.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least ten airstrikes struck areas around the city of Khan Sheikhoun and the roads that lead to it, causing damage to the infrastructure of the city. The airstrikes were part of a campaign against the cities and towns of rural Idlib that had been going on for three days. Civil Defense teams removed the victims of the airstrikes from the rubble.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Ahmad Khafif al-Monzer
Adult male killed
Fatima [wife of Ahmad Khafif al Monzer]
Adult female killed
Shams Ahmad Khafeef al-Monzer
Child female killed

Family members (6)

Um Hamzeh al-Mazbouh
Adult female killed
Son of Yousef al-Mazbouh 1
Child male killed
Son of Yousef al-Mazbouh 2
Child male killed
Son of Yousef al-Mazbouh 3
Child male killed
Wife of Hamoud al-Mazbouh
Adult female killed
Hayat [wife of Ibrahim Hasan al q
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 9
  • (1–4 children1–4 women1 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "The martyrdom of a displaced family in Khan Shikhun city They are from the town of Khattab 1- Ahmed Al - Munther 2 - The wife of Ahmed Munther 3 - the daughter of Ahmed Al-Mundhir (girl)"
  • The White Helmets attend the scene of an airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun, Sept 21st 2017.
  • Images from the scene of an alleged Russian airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun, Sept 21st 2017.
  • Translation: "injuries caused by Russian air strikes on the city of Khan Sheikhan countryside Idlib"
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: "A girl killed by the bombing of Russian military aircraft City # Khan_shikhon Pref # Idlib Southern .. Russians are criminals and not guarantors"
  • Translation: "Assad war plane kills five civilians and causes injuries in by targeting residential areas in Khan Sheikhoun"

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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 9
  • (1–4 children1–4 women1 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (28) [ collapse]