Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3047

Incident date

February 20, 2018

Location

حمورية, Hamouriya, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.528464, 36.389472 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Assad or Russian-waged air and artillery shelling of Hamouriya, eastern Ghouta, Damascus killed at least five civilians, including one woman, and wounded several, local media reported.

Followed by days of intense shelling of eastern Ghouta, including Hamouriya, the death toll reportedly reached five on Tuesday, February 20th. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR) reported “at least” five fatalities, including one woman in Hamouriya.

@LaLaKdaho and SN4HR identified four of the victims by name.

A civil defence member, cited by Masrawy News said that many civilians were still left under the rubble, expecting more dead and wounded, while adding that Hamouriya had been bombed with rockets carrying cluster bombs.

Also, the local hospital reportedly went out of service due to “systematic bombardment” by air raids, barrels of explosive aircraft helicopters and rockets, as reported by Damascus Media Center.

While Masrawy News as the only one pointed to Assad regime culpability, the remaining sources blamed both Assad and Russian forces, why the event remains contested.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male media activist killed
Age unknown male distribution Officer of the Humanitarian Relief Committee killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Hamouriya (حمورية), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.528464, 36.389472. 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
  • Infrastructure
    Healthcare
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A girl is being evacuated from a struck building following the contested shelling of Hamouriya, Damascus, February 20th, 2018 (via HalabTodayTV)
  • The media activist Abdul Rahman Yassin was reportedly among the victims of the contested shelling of Hamouriya, Damascus, February 20th, 2018 (via al-Hooran)

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
  • Infrastructure
    Healthcare
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]