Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3628

Incident date

April 27–28, 2019

Location

قلعة المضيق, Qal’et Al Madiq in Sahl Al Ghab, Hama, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between three and seven civilians including up to five women died and as many as 10 more non-combatants were wounded in alleged Russian or regime airstrikes on different locations in Qal’et Al Madiq in Sahl Al Ghab on the night of April 27th, local media reported. While the majority of sources blamed Russia, one source – Al Haall – pointed to the regime, while Daily Sabah said that an unidentified plane was responsible.

Local Coordination Committees of Syria put the death toll at three – though several other sources said that as many as five people had died – all of them women, according to one report by the White Helmets.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who also put the death toll at threem said that “Russian warplanes carried out four raids on places in Qal’aat al-Madiq”.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights published multiple reports in which it said that the following locations were struck:

  1. 111 Women and Children Specialist” Hospital in the al Shamali neighborhood – “severely damaging its building and equipment. As a result, the hospital went out of service, on April 28”.
  2. The Education Directorate building in the al Shamali neighborhood – “severely destroying its building and damaging its equipment and furniture, on April 28.”
  3. A complex of schools: Fawaz Haj Hussein Primary School, Akram Ali Secondary School and Akram Ali High School in the al Shamali neighborhood – “partially damaging the schools, on April 28”.
  4. The ‘33102 Center of Civil Defense’ in the middle of Qal’at al Madiq
  5. 5. Grain silos in Qal’et al-Mideq, west of Hama, “with airstrikes with space and cluster missiles”.

The Network reported that only the strike on the civil defense centre had resulted in civilian harm – referring to “a massacre”. In a separate posting it said that “five civilians most of whom are from the same family, including a woman, were killed as fixed-wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on the middle of Qal’at al Madiq town in Hama governorate western suburbs, on April 28.”

The White Helmets put the death toll at five, reporting that the “five martyrs” included “a disabled woman and her disabled young son, in addition to several other injuries.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

The victims were named as:

Abd al-Bari Khaled al-Yasouf عبد الباري خالد اليسوف
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (1 child1–5 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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

Sources (40) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • The White Helmets attend the scene of an alleged Russian airstrike on Qal'et al Madiq in Sahl Al Ghab (via SN4HR)
  • The aftermath of an alleged Russian airstrike on the Education Directorate in Qal'et al Madiq in Sahl Al Ghab, Apr 28th (via SN4HR)
  • A civilian is removed from the ruins of buildings following an airstrike on Qal’et Al Madiq in Sahl Al Ghab, April 27th.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (1 child1–5 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • 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

Sources (40) [ collapse]