Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2989

Incident date

February 6, 2018

Location

زملكا, Zamalaka, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5261, 36.35385 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as seven civilians, including a child and three women, were killed and up to dozens were wounded following Assad or Russian-waged aerial shelling of Zamalaka, eastern Ghouta, Damascus, local sources reported.

According to local reports, the incident in Zamalaka was one out of many that day in eastern Ghouta. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this was the “most bloody day in Syria in the latest few weeks” referring to the bombardments of eastern Ghouta.

Reports spanned from three to seven fatalities, the highest reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), who added that one child and three women were among the killed.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported the death of “at least four civilians, including a woman and her daughter.” Additionally, Irafa Sawtak published a photo of a father carrying his the body of his daughter.

Damascus Media Center was the only source who identified one of the victims by name as the adult man, Mahmoud Idris.

While few reports mentioned the number of wounded, Alaa Ahmad tweeted that the toll reached “dozens”.

It remains unclear who is to blame. Even though most sources identified the Syrian regime as responsible, including SOHR and SN4HR, Russian culpability cannot be excluded as Local Coordination Committees of Syria pointed to both “Russian and Assad raids”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (1 child1–3 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Footage from the immediate aftermath of the contested aerial shelling of Zamalaka, Damascus, February 6th, 2018 (via Alaa Ahmad)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A father carrying the body of his death child following the contested airstrikes in Zamalaka, Damascus, February 6th, 2018 (via Irafa Sawtak)
  • One of the victims of the contested airstrikes in Zamalaka, Damascus, February 6th, 2018, identified as Mahmoud Idris (via Damascus Media Center)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (1 child1–3 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]