Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3023

Incident date

February 14, 2018

Location

معرة حرمة, Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.5497387, 36.5422624 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians, including as many as three children, were killed and as many as ten more people were wounded as alleged Russian warplanes struck the town of Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, local media reported.

In this event, described by many as a “massacre”, residential buildings were struck and left in complete rubble with numerous civilians trapped underneath.

The death toll spanned from two to four, the latter reported by Edlib Media Center, who after initially reporting one fatality, later amended that number to four.

Three child victims were identified by name by Local Coordination Committees of Syria and the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Reports generally agreed that two or three of the fatalities were children, hereof two siblings.

However, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported that an eight-year-old girl was killed together with her infant brother, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that three children died, including two brothers. It is therefore unclear whether all of the identified victims were siblings of just the girl and baby boy who shared their last name.

The number of wounded spanned from two to as many as ten.

Finally, all known sources pointed unanimously to Russia as responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

8 years old female killed
3 months years old male killed

The victims were named as:

2 years old killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ma’arat Harma (معرة حرمة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.5497387, 36.5422624. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (2–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • The immediate and chaotic aftermath of the alleged Russian strike in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Smart News Agency)
  • Rescuing team trying to dig civilians from under the rubble following the alleged Russian shelling of Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Alghad ALsoori)
  • The alleged Russian strikes in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018, killed several children, including this baby boy (via Wesal TV)
  • The moment one of the child victims is being dug up from under the rubble following the alleged Russian strikes in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Yasar Yavuz)
  • Destruction caused by the alleged Russian strikes in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Edlib Media Center)
  • Destruction caused by the alleged Russian strikes in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Edlib Media Center)
  • Rescuing team trying to dig civilians from under the rubble following the alleged Russian shelling of Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Edlib Media Center)
  • The moment Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, is being struck by the alleged Russian airstrikes, February 14th, 2018 (via Al Latamna Youth Group)
  • Shahd Isam al Rayya, eights years old, was among the fatalties of the alleged Russian strike in Ma’arat Harma, Idlib, February 14th, 2018 (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)

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.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (2–3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]