Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2991

Incident date

February 6, 2018

Location

مديرا, Mdyra, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.544613, 36.3861 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians, including up to two children and one woman, were killed following alleged Assad or Russian-waged aerial shelling and/or missile attacks of Mdyra, eastern Ghouta, Damascus, local media reported.

According to local reports, the incident in Mdyra 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.

Local reports mentioned between two and four fatalities. Both Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported “at least” four victims, including one or two children and one woman.

None of the sources mentioned whether if the incident wounded any civilians.

While most reports referred to aerial shelling, Masrawy News reported about both “air and missile attacks” in eastern Ghouta on February 6th, why it is possible that ground-launched weaponry also caused the civilian harm.

Finally, 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 LCCSY pointed to both “Russian and Assad raids”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mdyra (مديرا), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.544613, 36.3861. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]