(Previous Incident Codes: R2394RS2544)

Airstrikes on Douma reportedly hit civilian homes and a centre for people with special needs. The centre was destroyed, and local media reported that up to five civilians were killed. Up to a further 20 civilian were said to have been wounded. Sources were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

Syrian Voice reported: “Russian warplanes targeted a centre that specialised in the rehabilitation and care of the victims of war on Tuesday [Sept 26th] in the city of Douma in the countryside of Damascus, killing two residents of the center and a member of medical staff. There were also a number of injured people, and the centre was rendered out of service”.

According to Zamanalwasl, “Russian warplanes carried out three air strikes loaded with high-explosive missiles targeting residential areas in the city of Douma. Medical sources in the city revealed that the number of wounded exceeded 20, and while there were no confirmed deaths [at the time of reporting], the civil defence teams continued to aid the wounded and inspect the places of shelling.”

However, a number of other sources attributed the strike to the regime. For example, @Ammar_alhasan tweeted: “Assad militias bombed a centre for the rehabilitation of disabled people with special needs in the city of Douma. Two people were killed and a large number were wounded”.

The Step News Agency named Khalil Miassa Abu Mahmoud, who worked at the centre, as one of four fatalities. It referred to him as “one of the best of people – everyone loved him”, adding that “his son Abdul Rahman Abu Ali was martyred about nine months ago”.

According to the Facebook page of the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a civil defence volunteer was one of the victims, though the source wasn’t clear whether he was killed or wounded. Moaaz alhamza also noted that the “many casualties” included civil defence volunteers.