Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3532

Incident date

August 10, 2018

Location

أورم الكبرى, Urma Al Kubra, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1475457, 36.9448239 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In a major civilian casualty incident, up to 44 civilians, including five to 25 children, were reportedly killed in three consecutive airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra. In total, sources recorded the names of 43 killed civilians.

Multiple sources reported many injured, with estimates ranging between dozens to 70, with one earlier report citing six injured.

The majority of sources attributed the strikes to Russia, yet the Assad regime was named by two sources, while five sources did not positively attribute responsibility.

Estimates of the death toll and numbers wounded rose as events unfolded, with earlier reports citing six injured, with the same source, Step New Agency, later reporting as many as 70 wounded and 40 killed.

Syrian Network for Human Rights estimated at least 10 killed, including five children, and named the Al Aboud family, and Ahmed Aziza, a media reporter, as killed in the airstrikes.

Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported 41 killed, while the majority of sources estimated the death toll at approximately 20, and cited ‘dozens’ as injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported 41 victims, including 25 children and seven women.

According to SCD Aleppo, “A warplane believed to be Russian launched three consecutive raids on the town of Urma al-Kubra in the Greater Aleppo at exactly 6.30pm on Friday August 10th. The strikes targeted the homes of civilians in the town, leaving twenty martyrs including six children and two women and a whole family under the rubble. The number of wounded reached fifty, mostly children and women.”

SCD Aleppo went on to cite the head of the civil defence centre in the town, Hussein Badawi, who reported that there was destruction across  “nearly three neighbourhoods” in the three raids.

Shabab Orem Al Kubra posted the local council list with the names of 35 other civilians who died in the airstrikes. In addition, the source also listed an unnamed family of seven, possibly the Al Aboud family, and two children from Homs, bringing the total death toll up to 44 civilians. The girl Fatima Ibrahim Darwish was reported missing. The source reported that 70 civilians were injured.

Smart News states that “the local council issued a statement condemning the massacre, calling on the international community to stand by its responsibilities towards the Syrian people and their right to live in safety in their country.”

The head of the local council of the town, Mahmoud Al Ibrahim, told Radio Al Kul that the shelling resulted in the destruction of more than 60 houses, and triggered the displacement for more than a hundred families who feared renewed shelling.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (7)

Family members (3)

Family members (2)

Family members (3)

Family members (3)

Family members (6)

Family members (2)

Family members (2)

Family members (2)

Family members (2)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    43 – 44
  • (5–25 children1–7 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–70
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (53) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (46) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Bodies are retrieved from the rubble following August 10th airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (via SN4HR)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Four children killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (via Hamza.alshaheed)
  • August 10th air strikes on the town of Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child from the Aboud family, all of whom were killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma Al-Kubra (via Kafar Zita)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child from the Aboud family, all of whom were killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (via Kafar Zita).
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SCDaleppo)
  • A child is pulled from the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SCDaleppo)
  • A child pulled from the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SCDaleppo)
  • The rescue mission following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SCDaleppo)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child is pulled from the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SCDaleppo)
  • Children killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Latamina.alhadth)
  • Ahmed Aziza, a media worker killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via SN4HR)
  • A UNICEF backpack in the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • An elderly man walks through the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • A man retrieves blankets from the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • A man participates in clean up efforts following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • A woman sits in the rubble following the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • The aftermath of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • Locals respond to the fatal consequences of the August 10th airstrikes on Urma al-Kubra (via Step News)
  • Translation: "Urma Al Kubra, in the western countryside of Aleppo, after being targeted by Russian aircraft !!! Terror without borders" (via @aboalhodaalhoms).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A child killed in the August 10th airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (@Omar_Madaniah).
  • Translation: "A video of the moment when a surviving child was brought out in the town of Urma Al Kubra in the western countryside of Aleppo today after being bombed by Assad's planes" (via @Omar_Madaniah).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: "The great Orom terrorists who were targeted today by vicious Russian criminal aviation ... You will not see or hear them in the malicious global media channels" (via @RevolutionSyria).

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    Children killed in the August 10th, 2018, airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (via @RevolutionSyria).
  • Translation: "Do not be afraid, baby, do not cry do not panic, there is still hope in this life, saving a child from the rubble of his destroyed home in the large town of Urma after being targeted by three Russian air strikes" (via @SyriaCivilDefe).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: "Four children at once, Assad killed them today in the countryside of Aleppo in the great town of Urma ... Oh God, you have Assad and his aides and everyone who supported him even with one word" (via @Omar_Madaniah).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children killed in the August 10th, 2018, airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra (via @Omar_Madaniah).
  • Translation: "Media activist Ahmed Aziza was killed due to the targeting of Russian warplanes in the town of Urma Al Kubra in the western countryside of Aleppo" (via @Anas_Alhaje).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: "20 martyrs, a preliminary outcome of the victims of the Great Urma massacre, just before the shelling of the town's warplanes …" (via @Mohmaud_Anaus).

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    Cut off hand of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via @Mohmaud_Anaus).
  • Ahmed Aziza was killed in alleged Russian and/or Syrian regime airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2020 (via VDC).
  • Rubble after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).
  • Men recovering the body of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).
  • Civilians in the aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).
  • The body of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Men recovering the body of a victim after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Mohammad Fasih Jamily on Facebook).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The bodies of victims, including children, after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Ibraheim.alhmad on Facebook).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The bodies of victims, including children, after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Kubra on August 10th, 2018 (via Ibraheim.alhmad on Facebook).

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Man in the hospital crying over the body of woman after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Urma Al Curb on August 10th, 2018 (via Yaseen.blkhi on Facebook).

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes in August 2018.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    43 – 44
  • (5–25 children1–7 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–70
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (53) [ collapse]