Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3615

Incident date

April 7–8, 2019

Location

كفرزيتا, Kafr Zeita, Hama, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that an elderly man was killed when multiple Russian airstrikes allegedly struck several neighbourhoods in the city of Kafr Zeita. Local news outlet Baladi News reported that the Russian Airforce conducted eight airstrikes with high-explosive rockets on residential neighbourhoods in the town.

According to Step News, the Russian planes launched a total of 14 rockets, killing the man who, according to the source, was a displaced civilian from Al-Arbaeen village. The source added ten civilians were wounded, while Fresh-Syria claimed that in fact dozens of civilians were wounded. Baladi news specified that among those wounded were four children and two women. According to Horrya News, the rest of the family of the “elderly man” was among those wounded.

Smart News reported that the strikes it believed to be Russian caused a large hole in the ground and that the Syrian Cvil Defense teams worked to remove the body and wounded from the rubble.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the incident took place after midnight in the night between April 7th and April 8th.

Sputnik reported that “warplanes carried out seven raids in the middle of last night [April 7th], targeting sites belonging to the army of Al-Azza, the most prominent allies of the Liberation of the Sham (Jabhet Al nusra), pointing out that the raids destroyed a series of targets of the organization in the city of Kafr Zeita and the town Al Sayyad Northern Hama…The correspondent quoted a military source as saying that the air strikes destroyed a number of militant headquarters, including ammunition depots and mobile rocket launchers used by armed groups to target villages and towns close to the fronts north and north-west of Hama.”

The incident occured after midnight.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male from the village of Al-Arbaeen killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Ali al-Basha killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on Kafr Zeita between April 7th and 8th 2019 (via Kafar Zeita TV).
  • Video showing the destruction caused by alleged Russian strikes on Kafr Zeita between April 7th and 8th 2019 (via Step News).
  • Victims were taken from the rubble of destroyed houses following alleged Russian strikes on Kafr Zeita in the night between April 7th and 8th (via Syria Civil Defense).
  • Rubble of destroyed houses after they were struck by alleged Russian strikes on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafar Zeita TV).
  • Rubble of destroyed houses after they were struck by alleged Russian strikes on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafar Zeita TV).
  • Rubble of destroyed houses after they were struck by alleged Russian strikes on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafar Zeita TV).
  • Rubble of destroyed houses after they were struck by alleged Russian strikes on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafar Zeita TV).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the wounded who was struck by an alleged Russian airstrike on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafr Zeta TV).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the wounded who was struck by an alleged Russian airstrike on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafr Zeta TV).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the wounded who was struck by an alleged Russian airstrike on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafr Zeta TV).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the wounded who was struck by an alleged Russian airstrike on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Kafr Zeta TV).
  • Report on alleged Russian airstrikes that struck Kafr Zeita on the night between April 7th and 8th (via Halab Today TV).
  • "A hole in the ground caused by an aerial bombardment that is likely to be Russian on the town of Kfar Zeita near central Hama, Monday, 8 April 2019." Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (27) [ collapse]