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.
Summary
Sources (12) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
Russian Armed Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
Russia has not reported any strikes between February 1st - 28th 2018.