Geolocation
Airwars assessment
As many as 17 civilians were killed – including ten who were named – as well as 6 or more wounded, in internationally banned Napalm and Phosphorous airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, according to local media. Sources blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime for the “air and artillery strikes” which were conducted in the vicinity. Madardaily was the only source to report that “military aircraft” bombed the vicinity, all others attributed blame.
The event was described by local media as a “massacre” which “targeted” a market and civilian homes causing huge fires and many casualties. Madardaily added that there were as many as ten airstrikes on the vicinity.
Sources reported that the victims were mostly an entire family. As many as seven of them were women and four were children.
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “The martyrs are a woman and her child from one family, six others from another family; they are a woman and two of her children and two sisters and another woman, in addition to a child -whether he belongs to one of the two families is not yet known. The death toll is expected to increase due to several of the injured being in a serious condition”.
“Heavy artillery” strikes were also reported on the residential area.
very graphic photographic evidence shows civilians who were burned until their bodies were unrecognisable.
The wounded were taken to nearby “health centres” by members of the Civil Defence. The death toll was expected to rise.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the city of Khan Sheikhoun (خان شيخون), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.440813, 36.6493607. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (32) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]
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Victims before burial n the aftermath of an alleged Napalm and Phosphorous airstrike attack on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Paldf News)
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The aftermath of the strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Madardaily)
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Members of the Syrian Civil Defence attempt to rescue civilians from the rubble following alleged Napalm and Phosphorous airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via @almajd700) -
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A charred body in the aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via @freedoms1y2r3ia) -
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A child victim in the aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via @tarykh_iran2017 ) -
The aftermath of the strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via @HadiAlabdallah)
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A victim in the aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Syria Civil Defence Idlib The White Helmets)
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Fires in the immediate aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Syria Civil Defence Idlib The White Helmets)
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A victim in the aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Syria Civil Defence Idlib The White Helmets)
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Fires in the immediate aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Syria Civil Defence Idlib The White Helmets)
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Fires in the immediate aftermath of strikes on Khan Sheikhoun, 17th December 2017. (via Syria Civil Defence Idlib The White Helmets)
Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
The Russian Ministry of Defence announced being active in unspecified parts of Syria until December 11th, 2017.