Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS343

Incident date

January 5, 2016

Location

ابطع, Abtaa, Daraa, Syria

Geolocation

32.79283, 36.15175 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five to six civilians including two children were killed and several others injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Abtaa, according to the Violations Documentation Center and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – though reports are unclear whether the deaths were the result of raids by Russian warplanes or shelling by regime forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said warplanes “believed to be Russian” carried out six raids on Abtaa, but that this was accompanied by “intense shelling by the regime forces”.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abdul Jaleel al-Nsairat
Child male grandson of Fawaz killed
Fawaz Soud al-Nsairat
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Ziyad Abdul Kader al-Jahed
Adult male killed
Abdul Rahman Ahmad Abo Stait
Age unknown male killed
Abdulsattar Qassem Mohammad Jaber al-Nuseirat
Adult male was also listed by VDC as having died at Abtaa, though is listed for January 3rd which may be an error killed
Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed
15 years old male died in Jordan from injuries sustained in this strike killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Abtaa (ابطع), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.79283, 36.15175. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (2 children4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A member of the White Helmets holding the body of a deceased child. (via, All4Syria)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Fawaz Soud al-Nsairat, killed by alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raids. (via, VDC)
  • Ziyad Abdul Kader al-Jahed, killed by alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raids. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Abdul Jaleel al-Nsairat, killed on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed, killed in raids on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Mahmoud Fadel al-Jahed, killed in raids on 5th January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • News story reporting on the riads. (via, ElAraby Television)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

In its report for military actions on January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Dara’a governorate: “In the course of 10 days of the year 2016, the Russian aircraft have performed 311 combat sorties engaging 1097 objects in the Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Daraa, and Raqqah provinces.“

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 6
  • (2 children4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]