Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3739

Incident date

May 30, 2019

Location

كفروما, Kfarouma, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to two civilians, including a child, were reported killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma, Idlib, May 30th, 2019, according to local sources.

Step News and Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that a father and a daughter had died in the bombardment. Meanwhile, Local Coordination Committee for Syria only referred to “wounded civilians”, and Smart News reported one fatality, as did the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights who said that a child had died from injuries sustained in a regime bombing. Smart News reported one civilian death and that “others were wounded”

Syrian Network for Human Rights recorded the victims of the attack as Zainab Bashar Al Hamad, and her father. Abu Othman and Mohammad Haboush on Facebook named the father as Bashar Al Hamad Al Daraawi from Dara’a and added that Al Hamad was “in the ranks of the Free Syrian Army” at the time of his death. According to Haboush, Al Hamad was injured in battle in Hama in 2015, leading to the amputation of his foot or leg, but continued to be involved in the armed movement. It remains unclear whether Al Hamad was on duty when he was killed alongside his daughter.

Qasioun News wrote that the regime warplane shelling destroyed the commercial market in the town. The Syrian Network for Human Rights also reported that “Syrian regime fixed-wing warplanes fired missiles near Al Rahman Mosque in Kfarrouma village in Idlib governorate southern suburbs, severely destroying its building and furniture, on May 30.”

Local Coordination Committee for Syria referred to “successive airstrikes”, but did not positively attribute blame for the attack. Russia was named by Step News as the active belligerent, while most other sources attributed the strikes to the Syrian Regime. Shaam News Network blamed both Russia and the Syrian regime.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Adult male with Free Syrian army, unclear if he was on duty when he was killed killed
Child female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (18) [ collapse]

  • Translation: “A horrific video: the moment a man and a child were killed by intense air strikes by Russian warplanes targeting the village of Kfarouma in Idlib countryside” (via @aboalhodaalhoms).
  • Translation: “Several raids with Syrian warplanes resulted in martyrs, a number of wounded and massive destruction of civilian homes and commercial stores” (via @adlbhamam1985).
  • Translation: “Assad's planes shelled the town of Kfarouma in Idlib countryside intensively, destroying its market and burying a family under the rubble. 30 May 2019” (via Hadi Al Abdallah).
  • Translation: “A man was martyred due to intense air strikes by regime forces warplanes targeting Kafrouma village in Idlib countryside” (via @fawaz_jwaid).
  • The aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via @fawaz_jwaid).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteer and a young man looking for survivors underneath the rubble after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via @fawaz_jwaid).
  • Civilians on the target site in the aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via @fawaz_jwaid).
  • The aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via @fawaz_jwaid).
  • Translation: “A little while ago: Civil Defense teams are trying to rescue those trapped under the rubble in the town of Kfarouma in Hama countryside. Orient News correspondent - Jamil Al-Hassan” (via @OrientNews).
  • Translation: “Bashar Al Hamad Abu Hassan, a beautiful martyr, he and his daughter, due to the bombing of my town. The martyr Bashar, a son of Dara'a, defected from the criminal regime and joined the ranks of the revolution against the regime. He continued his career and was wounded in the Hama battle five years ago, and his leg was amputated, but despite his injury, he continued her path against the tyrant/ Today, Dara'a and Kafrouma bid farewell to his son Bashar and his daughter, two martyrs, as a result of the shelling in the town” (via Mohammad Haboush).
  • Bashar Al Hamad Abu Hassan was killed alongside his daughter in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Mohammad Haboush).
  • A Syrian Civil Defence volunteer working at the target site after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Syrian Civil Defence at the target site after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Syrian Civil Defence at the target site after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Destroyed buildings after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).
  • Civilians and Syrian Civil Defence volunteers at the target site after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Kfarouma on May 30th, 2019 (via Macro Media Center).

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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (20) [ collapse]