Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS344

Incident date

January 6, 2016

Location

بزاعة, Baza'a, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.383201, 37.565723 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eight or nine non-combatants including 3 women and 4 children were killed and seven others injured in alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrikes on a western neighbourhood in the town of Baza’a.

Citing an anonymous source, Syria News Desk noted: “Russian warplanes carried out three raids on the centre and outskirts of the city, killing nine civilians, including women and children, in addition to injuring more than ten others were wounded.”

While the Syrian Network also blamed Russia, others like Al Jisr only mentioned unspecified warplanes. Alaan TV reported that Russian strikes were accompanied by regime “shelling with heavy artillery and rocket launchers on the town, from sites 20 kilometres south of Baza’a.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Baza’a (بزاعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.383201, 37.565723. 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
    8 – 9
  • (4 children3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–10
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • A news bulletin documenting the riads. (via, Al Jisir TV)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

In its report for military actions on January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Aleppo 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
    8 – 9
  • (4 children3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7–10
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]