Airwars assessment
Up to four civilians were reported killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike when an ambulance from the non-governmental organisation Violet was targeted near Ma’aret Al Nu’man, Idlib governorate, on June 20th, 2019, according to local sources. At least two others were wounded.
Of those killed, three were reportedly paramedics, transporting a woman injured from a previous shelling to hospital, who also allegedly perished in the attack. Local sources said the paramedics were killed as a result of direct targeting.
While the Local Coordination Committee claimed that there were two martyrs and “several wounded” as a result of the strike, Step News stated that “three paramedics were killed, and three others injured, as well as a woman killed during her transfer to hospital.” @HadiAlabdallah said that also three paramedics were seriously injured in the airstrike.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights named the paramedics slain as “Mahmoud al Mustafa, Saer Bahloul and Abdul Qader Nahtan.”
Jeser Press said that the death of the three paramedics raises the number of paramedics from Violet Organisation who got killed as a result of airstrikes to eight, as five others were killed previously.
Seven sources attributed the attack to the Syrian regime, while seven did not positively attribute blame. Meanwhile, two sources named both Russian forces and the Syrian regime in reporting the incident.
In October 2020, Human Rights Watch published a report including their investigation into this particular incident. According to the report, the incident occured around 10.30 AM. According to Obeida Zikra, the Syrian Civil Defence team leader in the city, three people were killed and two wounded. The report states: “The ambulance was a white van carrying the Violet organization’s emblem on the side and, although there was nothing to indicate that it was a military vehicle, it did not have a distinctive emblem on the roof that aircraft could identify.”
Furthermore, HRW writes that they analysed 29 verified photos and one video from the scene: “The videos show three bodies wearing purple uniforms – like those worn by Violet workers – lying on the ground meters away from the destroyed ambulance, including one man who is bleeding from injuries visible on his left arm. They also show two SCD vehicles and another Violet ambulance arriving at the scene.”
The incident occured at approximately 10:30 am local time.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (34) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (29) [ collapse]
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Image caption translation: "Three paramedics from Banafsaj team died in direct aerial targeting while rescuing the wounded. Three others injured, and a woman was killed during her transfer to a hospital" (via Step News)
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Image caption translation: "Syria, Ma'arat al-Nu'man: Medics rescue a wounded paramedic, killing two of his colleagues from the cadres of "Banafsaj" and a woman, while others were injured Thursday, 20th June 2019, in a raid of the military aircraft. The raid targeted the ambulance in which they were traveling following the rescue of civilians who were wounded by a previous bombing of the regime" (via Smart News) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Image caption translation: "Syria, Ma'arat al-Nu'man: Medics rescue a wounded paramedic, killing two of his colleagues from the cadres of "Banafsaj" and a woman, while others were injured Thursday, 20th June 2019, in a raid of the military aircraft. The raid targeted the ambulance in which they were traveling following the rescue of civilians who were wounded by a previous bombing of the regime" (via Smart News) -
Image caption translation: "Syria, Ma'arat al-Nu'man: Medics rescue a wounded paramedic, killing two of his colleagues from the cadres of "Banafsaj" and a woman, while others were injured Thursday, 20th June 2019, in a raid of the military aircraft. The raid targeted the ambulance in which they were traveling following the rescue of civilians who were wounded by a previous bombing of the regime" (via Smart News)
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Image caption translation: "Syria, Ma'arat al-Nu'man: Medics rescue a wounded paramedic, killing two of his colleagues from the cadres of "Banafsaj" and a woman, while others were injured Thursday, 20th June 2019, in a raid of the military aircraft. The raid targeted the ambulance in which they were traveling following the rescue of civilians who were wounded by a previous bombing of the regime" (via Smart News)
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Image caption translation: "Syria, Ma'arat al-Nu'man: Medics rescue a wounded paramedic, killing two of his colleagues from the cadres of "Banafsaj" and a woman, while others were injured Thursday, 20th June 2019, in a raid of the military aircraft. The raid targeted the ambulance in which they were traveling following the rescue of civilians who were wounded by a previous bombing of the regime" (via Smart News)
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Image caption: "Syrian regime forces bombed an ambulance resulting in the killing of civilians in Ma’aret al Numan city in Idlib suburbs" (via Syrian Network for Human Rights) -
Image Caption: "Mahmoud al Mustafa, Saer Bahloul and Abdul Qader Nahtan, paramedics at Violet Organization, from Idlib governorate, were killed as Syrian regime warplanes fired a missile near an ambulance in al Janoubi neighborhood in Ma’aret al Numan city in Idlib governorate southern suburbs, while they were aiding the injured of previous shelling of the same forces, on June 20th" (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)
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Image caption translation: "Ascension of paramedics from the ambulance system "Banafsaj" as a result of their targeting by the military aircraft in the city of Ma’aret al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus) -
Image caption translation: "Ascension of paramedics from the ambulance system "Banafsaj" as a result of their targeting by the military aircraft in the city of Ma’aret al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus)
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Image caption translation: "Ascension of paramedics from the ambulance system "Banafsaj" as a result of their targeting by the military aircraft in the city of Ma’aret al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus)
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Image caption translation: "Ascension of paramedics from the ambulance system "Banafsaj" as a result of their targeting by the military aircraft in the city of Ma’aret al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus) -
Image Caption Translation: "The martyrs "Samer Al Bahlul" and "Mahmoud Al Mustafa" of the Banfsaj organization, rose during the aid of civilians as a result of the criminal bombardment of the Assad regime on Ma'arat al-Nu'man." (via Idlib Plus)
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Image caption translation: "The funeral of Abdul Qadir al-Nahtan, one of the martyrs of Banafsaj team, killed by the bombing of the regime today in Ma'arat al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus)
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Image caption translation: "The funeral of Abdul Qadir al-Nahtan, one of the martyrs of Banafsaj team, killed by the bombing of the regime today in Ma'arat al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Image caption translation: "The funeral of Abdul Qadir al-Nahtan, one of the martyrs of Banafsaj team, killed by the bombing of the regime today in Ma'arat al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus) -
Image caption translation: "The funeral of Abdul Qadir al-Nahtan, one of the martyrs of Banafsaj team, killed by the bombing of the regime today in Ma'arat al-Nu'man" (via Idlib Plus)
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Destruction of an ambulance of the Violet organisation after an airstrike allegedly by Russian forces or Syrian regime on Ma'arat Al-Nu'man on June 20th, 2019. (via @HadiAlabdallah).
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Deaths and injuries reported among volunteers of Violet organization and civilians as a result of Syrian regime or Russian forces raids on Ma'arat Al-Nu'man on June 20th, 2019. (via Horrya news).
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An alleged Syrian regime or Russian forces missile landed near an ambulance of Violet Organization in al Janoubi neighborhood in Ma’aret al Numan city on June 20th, 2019. (via SN4HR).
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Deaths and injuries reported among volunteers of Violet organization and civilians as a result of Syrian regime or Russian forces raids on Ma'arat Al-Nu'man on June 20th, 2019. (via Horrya news).
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The Violet Organisation that operates in Idlib mourned two of its paramedics, as a result of a warplane raid in the vicinity of Maarat al-Numan on June 20th, 2019. (via Enab baladi)
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Syrian Civil Defence volunteers rescuing the injured after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on Ma'arat Al-Nu'man on June 20th, 2019. (via @SEMA_Org).
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The three paramedics who were killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime forces on Ma'arat Al-Nu'man on June 20th, 2019. (via @molhamteam)