Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2806

Incident date

December 19, 2017

Location

معرشورين, Ma'ar Shoreen, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.667511, 36.727252 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what has been described my local media as a “massacre” as many as 20 civilians were killed and up to 35 were wounded, in airstrikes conducted over Ma’ar Shoreen. Nearly all reports of the incident blamed Russia, however one source blamed the Syrian regime making this a contested event.

Many of the dead were women and children. Graphic imagery and footage released shows dead children in the aftermath who were buried alive while asleep.

CCTV footage of the vicinity at the time shows the exact moment the first raid fell at 23:58:29.

Civilians homes were completely destroyed, and one image shows a huge crater where civilian housing once stood. Three high explosive rockets were reportedly used by Step News, accounting for the level of destruction.

According to local media, some of the civilians killed were Internally Displaced Civilians from Hama.

The Syrian Civil Defence reported the wounded were in a serious condition with many of them taken to medial points to receive immediate medial attention.

According to Russia Today, “Russia’s Defence Ministry has denied reports that the Russian air force has targeted a village of Maarshurin in the north of Syria.The ministry said in a statement issued today that “the Russian warplanes did not launch air strikes on the residential centre of Maarshurin  in the province of Idlib, Syria.” They added that “Russian space air force planes have not carried out missions in this area”.

One media outlet reported that “eleven people killed from Al al-Shahhad family and from the killed there were families  displaced from northern countryside of Hama from (Khatat and Halfaya) towns”.

The incident occured at 23:58:29 local time.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child female killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Child male killed
Adult male from Halfaya killed
Adult female from Halfaya killed
Adult female from Halfaya killed
Adult female from Halfaya killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (8 children7–19 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–35
  • 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 (41) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (47) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children who were killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children who were killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @aboalhodaalhoms)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children who were killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @aboalhodaalhoms)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @mohamed1aldaher)
  • A civilian casualty in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @mohamed1aldaher)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @mohamed1aldaher)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian casualty in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @mohamed1aldaher)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @JinaShashaah)
  • Civil Defence searching for victims in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • Civil Defence searching for victims in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • Civil Defence searching for victims in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • Civil Defence searching for victims in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • Civil Defence searching for victims in the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children who were killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @SYRIA_KIDS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians are dig up from the rubble in the immediate aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @HalabTodayTV)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children who were killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via @FREE_TV_SYRIA)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. Also shows a victim of the attack. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • News bulletin showing the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via JisirTV)
  • CCTV footage of the exact moment the airstrike struck the vicinity. Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Anas Al M’arawi)
  • A news bulletin reporting on the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via RFS Media Office)
  • A news bulletin reporting on the aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Al Jazeera)
  • The Al-A'araj family, who were killed due to airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Al Latamna youth group)
  • Moments after the airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • Moments after the airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • Moments after the airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • Moments after the airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via Idlib Media Centre)
  • Hozaifa al-Taweel, killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via VDC-SY)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Hozaifa al-Taweel, killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via VDC-SY)
  • Moataz Mouayad al-Aaraj, killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via VDC-SY)
  • Moataz Mouayad al-Aaraj, killed in airstrikes on Ma'ar Shoreen, 19th December 2017. (via VDC-SY)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced being active in unspecified parts of Syria until December 11th, 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (8 children7–19 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–35
  • 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 (41) [ collapse]