Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between 61 and 80 civilians were reportedly killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Kafr Batna, Damascus governorate. Estimates of injured civilians range from 100 up to 200.
The Violations Documentation Center in Syria documented 61 civilian fatalities. @SiegeWatch put the death toll between 61 and 70, whereas other media such as Shaam News Agency reported more than 80 civilians killed. Multiple sources said that the fatalities were mostly women and children, but the exact numbers remain unclear.
@aboalhodaalhoms tweeted that 77 people were killed, stating most of them were civilians. Several sources, such as DoumaTV, reported that the bodies of victims had been charred. According to Shaam News Agency, “pillars of smoke and flames were rising from [civilian] houses, where many civilians were burned alive.”
The Syrian Civil Defence reported more than a 100 wounded. @SiegeWatch reported more than 200 injured in the attack “with four missiles from a Russian jet containing incendiary material (suspected napalm).” @RaedAlSaleh3 reported “hundreds of injured”.
The Syrian Human Rights Committee wrote that the incident occured in the morning.
According to Shaam News Agency, Syrian Civil Defence teams tried to recover the bodies of killed civilians and to evacuate the wounded to medical points, but there was “great difficulty in transporting the injured to the field hospitals due to continued heavy shelling.”
Several sources reported that residential areas, civilian homes and the popular market place of the city were targeted and suggested that napalm was used. Shaam News Agency mentioned the use of “cluster bombs, phosphorus, napalm, as well as poisonous gases”.
Whereas some sources blamed the Russian forces for the airstrikes, others blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime.
The incident occured in the morning.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the town of Kafr 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
Sources (48) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (21) [ collapse]
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Casualties in the aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018. (via Shaam News Network) -
The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Shaam News Network).
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Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Syrian Network for Human Rights). -
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The aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Al Jazeera). -
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Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka). -
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Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka). -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka). -
Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka).
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Dozens of casualties after airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka). -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Dozens of casualties in the aftermath of airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Marsad Al Hasaka). -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
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Aftermath of the airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via @RaedAlSaleh3).
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Aftermath of the airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via @RaedAlSaleh3).
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Aftermath of the airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Baladi News).
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Aftermath of the airstrikes on Kafr Batna, March 16th 2018 (via Baladi News).
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