Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3353a

Incident date

March 31, 2018

Location

أريحا, Ariha, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.81374, 36.60964 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four or five civilians including a woman and her child died and up to nine more civilians were wounded in an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on Ariha, local media reported.

@shahed_alep: 4 k a number wounded

@SyrianCoalition reported “three martyrs and seven wounded in an air strike targeting civilian homes”.

Other sources put the death toll between two and four, though five fatalities and nine wounded civilians were named.

All sources but one blamed Russian for the civilian harm, though the Syrian Network for Human Rights was alone in saying that the regime was responsible. SN4HR said that “two civilians were killed when Syrian regime warplanes fired missiles on al Masaken neighborhood south of Ariha city in Idlib governorate southern suburbs, on March 31st”.

@RFS_mediaoffice noted the use of  vacuum missiles by Russia.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

female killed
Adult female killed
Child female killed

Family members (2)

female injured
Child female injured

Family members (2)

Adult female injured
female injured

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male IDP from (from Zamalek killed
Age unknown female injured
Age unknown female injured
Age unknown male injured
Age unknown female injured
Age unknown female injured
Adult male from the city of Zamalka killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ariha (أريحا), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.81374, 36.60964. 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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–9
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an airstrike on civilian homes in Ariha, March 31st 2018 (via @SyrianCoalition)
  • White Helmets images of wounded civilians following an an airstrike on civilian homes in Ariha, March 31st 2018 (via White Helmets)
  • Hassan Mohiuddin, from the city of Zamalka, killed in an airstrike on Ariha, March 31st 2018 (via Abo Adnan al Sheikh)

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–9
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]