Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3080

Incident date

February 24, 2018

Location

حرستا, Harasta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.55869, 36.36515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two but as many as 35 civilians were killed and several wounded as Harasta, eastern Ghouta, Damascus, was subject to aerial – and possibly also artillery – shelling, local media reported, though apportion of blame was unclear.

As the shelling of eastern Ghouta continued on its seventh day, Harasta was again on February 24th subject to airstrikes, especially in residential areas, as noted by several media, including the Civil Defence.

al-Jazeera added that Harasta, in addition to airstrikes, also had been struck with land-to-land missiles.

The death toll spanned among the sources from two to three, the latter reported by both the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Step News Agency.

However, al-Arabiya reported as the only source that the incident killed as many as 35 civilians. The media, who cited  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported  “the renewal of air and missile strikes on Saturday morning, the implementation of military aircraft (carried out, ed.) four raids on areas in the city of Harasta, killing 35 people, including 8 children, and dozens of wounded.”

No other sources echoed that reporting, and though al-Arabiya’s figures will be registred below, it is done so with a great degree of uncertainty.

Moreover, reports mentioned that a number of civilians were left wounded, while al-Arabiya put the toll at “dozens”.

Sources were not clear in terms of culpability, as blame was appointed to either the Syrian regime, Russia, or both across the reports.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Harasta (حرستا), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.55869, 36.36515. 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 – 25
  • (0–8 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • One of the victims of the contested shelling, Harasta, Damascus, February 24th, 2018 (via Syrian Civil Defence)

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 – 25
  • (0–8 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]