Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3261

Incident date

March 14, 2018

Location

كفر بطنا, Kafar Batna, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.511853, 36.372857 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and four civilians have been killed and as many as ten others, including children, were injured, in air and artillery strikes on Kafar Batna, according to local media. Sources attributed the blame to both Russia and the Syrian regime. Barrel bombing was reported in these strikes.

Members of the Syrian Civil Defence teams worked quickly to dig victims from the rubble in the aftermath of the strike.

The White Helmets put the death toll at two, as did the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who reported “the martyrdom of two citizens and injury of 10 others (in varying degrees of severity) as a result of shelling with seven shells fired by regime forces on areas in the town of Kafar Batna”.

However, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “at least three civilians, including a girl, were killed in the intensive shelling by Syrian/Russian regime forces on Kafr Batna”.

Four unidentified males were reported killed by the Violations Documentation Centre, who blamed the “Syrian government and affiliated militias”.

The incident occured during the night.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Kafar Batna (كفر بطنا), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.511853, 36.372857. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1 child4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafar Batna, 14th March 2018. (via @EremNews)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (1 child4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]