Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3616

Incident date

April 6, 2019

Location

جسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shughour, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that long-range high-explosive ballistic missiles struck the city of Jisr al-Shughour. Step News specified that ten missiles struck residential buildings and infrastructure in the city. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the strikes struck an area near the Mamoun Haj Yahya School in al Shamali al Sharqi neighborhood, severely destroying the school’s building, putting the school out of service.

While most sources said the event happened on April 8th, @AJA_Syria tweeted (on April 8th): “Pictures of the effects of the destruction caused by the bombing a few days ago on the city of Jisr al-Shughour”.

Mustafa Al Haj Yousif, director of the Syrian Civil Defense in Idlib,  said that two missiles struck another school called “Ruqiya bint Malik” in addition to a number of residential houses.

Some sources blamed Syrian regime forces while other sources blamed the Russian forces. The Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed both, reporting that Syrian-Russian Alliance forces were responsible for the attack.

Several sources such as Jisir TV claimed that the missiles were fired from Russian battleships stationed off the coast of Lattakia in the Mediterranean Sea, while others reported that the missiles were fired from positions of the regime forces in Tel Sheikh Yusuf or Henderat in Aleppo.

Most sources reported that 12 people were injured. Step News specified that among the wounded were 10 children, a woman and a young man, although the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the 12 wounded included a woman and nine children. Smart News was the only source that reported 14 children were wounded in addition to a woman, although it also published the statement of Mustafa Al Haj Yousif who claimed that 12 children and two women were injured in the attack.

Jisir Media center identified the victims.

Human Rights Watch said the attack on the hospital wounded 13 women and children. “On April 8th, two munitions struck a residential neighborhood about 60 meters from the school, blowing out the school’s doors and windows and wounding 13 women and children who were inside.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Age unknown male injured
Age unknown male injured
Age unknown male injured

Family members (4)

Age unknown female injured
25 years old female injured

Family members (2)

Family members (2)

The victims were named as:

Age unknown female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Naval bombardment
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • SIght of alleged Russian missile strikes on the city of Jisr al-Shughour on April 8th (via LCCSY).
  • SIght of missile strikes on the city of Jisr al-Shughour on April 8th (via @abuhuzaifa_).
  • Syrian Civil Defense carrying wounded children after missile strikes struck Jisr al-Shughour on April 8th (via @ShahbaPress)
  • Jisr al-Shughour before alleged missile strikes struck on April 8th (via Jisir Media TV).
  • Jisr al-Shughour before alleged missile strikes struck on April 8th (via Jisir Media TV).
  • Jisr al-Shughour after alleged missile strikes struck on April 8th (via Jisir Media TV).
  • Jisr al-Shughour after alleged missile strikes struck on April 8th (via Jisir Media TV).
  • Video showing destruction caused by alleged missile strikes
  • Video showing alleged shelling of long-range missiles on Jisr al-Shughour on April 8th (via Halab Today TV).
  • Video showing the aftermath of alleged long-range and high explosive missiles struck Jisr al-Shughour (via @IdlibPlus).
  • Destruction caused by alleged airstrikes struck Jisr al-Shughour (via @AJA_Syria).
  • Long-range missile attack on the town of Jisr al-Shughour (32 km west of Idlib city) in northern Syria on April 8th, 2019. Copyright SMART, published in the public interest.
  • Pictures of the effects of the destruction caused by the bombing earlier on the city of Jisr al-Shughour. (via @AJA_Syria)
  • Pictures of the effects of the destruction caused by the bombing earlier on the city of Jisr al-Shughour. (via @AJA_Syria)
  • Pictures of the effects of the destruction caused by the bombing earlier on the city of Jisr al-Shughour. (via @AJA_Syria)
  • Pictures of the effects of the destruction caused by the bombing earlier on the city of Jisr al-Shughour. (via @AJA_Syria)
  • The SCD’s ordnance disposal team found the remnants of a 300mm 9M55K Smerch cluster munition rocket and unexploded 9N235 fragmentation submunition in the yard of Walid Shaaban secondary school in Jisr al-Shughour after an attack on March 3, 2020. © 2020 Syrian Civil Defense. (Via HRW)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Naval bombardment
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (28) [ collapse]