Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2489

Incident date

September 21, 2017

Location

قلعة المضيق, Kala'at al Madeeq, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.409617, 36.390495 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and three civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed and nine others, including children, were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes against the town of Kala’at al Madeeq in northwestern Hama, according to local sources. The initial estimate of two civilians killed was reported by Smart News Agency while Al Latamna reported the next day (September 22nd) that a child had died of their wounds sustained in the airstrikes, bringing the estimate to three civilians killed.

Smart News Agency reported that the city center was struck by the airstrikes, resulting in the death of a young man and a woman. The civil defense teams transported the wounded to nearby field hospitals and among the wounded, the injuries varied between medium and critical. According to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around five airstrikes were launched against the town.

Conflicting reports were given as to who was responsible for carrying out the airstrikes. Smart News Agency identified Russian planes as responsible while Syrian Network for Human Rights only identified the planes as belonging to the Syrian-Russian alliance. The other two sources that reported on the incident, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Al Latamna, did not identify who was to blame.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child male Reportedly died on Sept 22nd from injuries sustained in the strike killed
Hijazi Abdel rahman al hallaq
Age unknown VDC listed him as killed in Aalat al Madiq on 22nd but other sources say they died following injuries sustained on the previous day killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Kala’at al Madeeq (قلعة المضيق), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.409617, 36.390495. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "Witness the moment that Qalat al Madiq was targeted with cluster bombs."
  • Translation: "The Russians are using cluster bombs which are internationally banned- in five raids on civilians"
  • Translation: "One of the raids a short while ago with cluster rockets on the town of Qal'at al-Madiq in Shal al Ghab. Oh God, peace be upon our people"
  • Rescue teams attend the scene of a strike on Kala'at al Madeeq, Sept 21st 2017.
  • Khaled Maamoun Shamsi , who died from injuries sustained in a strike on Kala'at al Madeeq, Sept 21st 2017.
  • Khaled Maamoun Shamsi , who died from injuries sustained in a strike on Kala'at al Madeeq, Sept 21st 2017.

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
    2 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    9
  • 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 (14) [ collapse]