Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Twelve civilians were killed including two to three women and two to four children and as many as 85 injured in airstrikes on Arbeen, according to multiple sources – although reports were conflicted as to whether Russian or Assad regime forces were responsible.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 18 non-combatants died including women and children – with tens injured – in regime airstrikes and shelling in Eastern Ghouta. Among the casualties were four children and two women “killed in the aerial bombardment and shelling by the regime forces which targeted cities of Arbeen and Zamalka.”
However, a subsequent SOHR report blamed “warplanes believed to be Russian“, adding that they killed at least 10 people, including two women in “intense bombing“.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said regime shelling claimed the lives of at least 10 civilians, including one child and two women, adding that “even the rescue and aid teams were targeted with a Russian raid“. According to Shaam News Network, however, Russian warplanes killed 12 and injured more than 80.
The White Helmets published several reports on the incident but referred only to “warplanes” carrying out up to 13 raids with vacuum missiles which left 12 dead and up to 85 injured, including women and children, but said that the number of dead was likely to rise due to the severity of injuries. They added that there had been great destruction of civilian neighbourhoods.
The White Helmets as also named one unidentified victim.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (4)
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the town of Arbeen (عربين), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.538143, 36.364331. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (13) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]
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A photo of the alleged plane which dropped the airstrikes on Arbeen. (via, SNN)
Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
In its report for military actions on January 11 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Damascus 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.“