Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3048

Incident date

February 20, 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

Up to eight civilians, including at least two women, were killed along with several wounded as airstrikes and artillery shelling continued in eastern Ghouta, Damascus, this time in Zamalaka, local media reported who blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime.

Masrawy News reported how many parts of eastern Ghouta, including Zamalaka, continuously were under “air, missile and artillery shelling”, inflicting great civilian and material damage.

Reports were, however, not clear in terms of how many fatalities the incident had claimed as the death toll spanned from one to eight.

While HalabTodayTV, for example, reported one fatality and several wounded due “an air raid on the city of Zemlka in the eastern Ghouta”, the majority of sources, such as Syrian Network for Human Rights (SN4HR), reported “at least” eight fatalities, hereof two women. Masrawy News cited a civil defence member who put the death toll in Zamalaka at seven.

Ghouta Media Center (GMC) identified seven of the fatalities by name.

Only a few reports apportioned blame. While Masrawy News only blamed the Syrian regime, others, such as SN4HR and GMC, pointed to shared Russian/Assad responsibility.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Age unknown female killed
Age unknown female killed

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown female killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 8
  • (2 women)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Four of the victims from the contested shelling of Zamalaka, Damascus, February 20th, 2018 (via SN4HR)

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
    1 – 8
  • (2 women)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]