Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3991

Incident date

August 5–6, 2019

Location

مورك, Morek, Hama, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians, most of them from the same family, were reported killed and several others injured in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes or artillery shelling  on Morek in Idlib, Syria during the night of August 5/6th, 2019.

Syrian Network for Human Rights also reported “at least 4 civilians, most of them from the same family, killed as Syrian regime helicopters dropped several barrel bombs on several residential areas in Morek town in the northern suburbs of Hama governorate, on August 5th, 2019.”

@FSLA2011 tweeted that “Ahmed Abu Al-Qaq, Khalid Abu Al-Qaq and Ibrahim Abu Al-Qaq from the city of Morek in the northern Hama countryside were killed as a result of the aerial bombardment by Russian warplanes that hit the city.” Abdul Karim Noor al-Dali was also named as one of the victims.

However, @NeSyria, @ZaitunAgency  and other sources said that four civilians were killed. The highest death toll was reported by Awsat News which reported the death of five civilians and the injury of 30 others as a result of “Syrian regime warplanes dropping of 11 barrel bombs and three naval mines on Morek.”

Smart News also stated that “the regime’s helicopters dropped 11 barrels bombs and three naval mines on Morek. As a result, four civilians were killed and a fifth was injured.

In addition to that, local sources reported that warplanes with machine guns targeted the civil defence teams during the evacuation of civilians from the targeted houses. The Syrian Civil Defense and Civil Defence Hama stated that “warplanes also targeted a civil defence team in a double raid, which led to the burning of the rescue vehicle and equipment”, yet did not “cause casualties among the volunteers.” This targeting led to hindering the efforts to rescue the injured civilians.

According to news, these were “the first civilian deaths since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement.” According to this source, those killed in the attack had “returned to their town after they were displaced when the truce was announced by the Russian regime on August 2nd, 2019.”

Sources predominantly attributed the responsibility of the attack to the Syrian regime, yet one source also named Russian forces in reporting the incident, and few others blamed both the Syrian regime and Russia for it.

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

The victims were named as:

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–30
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • One of the victims killed in the city of Morek in the northern countryside of Hama as a result of aerial bombardments or shelling by the Assad regime and/or the Russian forces. (via Justice Organisation)
  • One of the victims killed in the city of Morek in the northern countryside of Hama as a result of aerial bombardments or shelling by the Assad regime and/or the Russian forces. (via Justice Organisation)
  • One of the victims killed in the city of Morek in the northern countryside of Hama as a result of aerial bombardments or shelling by the Assad regime and/or the Russian forces. (via Justice Organisation)
  • Image Caption: "At least 4 civilians, most of them from the same family, killed as Syrian regime helicopters dropped several barrel bombs on several residential areas in Morek town in the northern suburbs of Hama governorate, on August 5, 2019. We point out that the victims returned to their town after they were displaced when the truce was announced by the Russian regime entered into force, on August 2, 2019." (via Syrian Network for Human Rights)
  • A civil defense vehicle was damaged after it was allegedly targeted in a double raid in Morek on August 5/6th, which led to the burning of the rescue vehicle and equipment completely without causing casualties among the volunteers. (via Syria Civil Defense)
  • A civil defense vehicle was damaged after it was allegedly targeted in a double raid in Morek on August 5/6th, which led to the burning of the rescue vehicle and equipment completely without causing casualties among the volunteers. (via Syria Civil Defense)
  • An image showing civil defence team trying to rescue one of the injured civilians before it was a target of a double raid in Morek, Hama on 5/6th August, 2019 (via civil_hama)
  • An image showing civil defence team carrying an injured civilian in Morek, Hama on 5/6th August, 2019 (via civil_hama)
  • Civil defence team in the scene of the attack in Morek, Hama on 5/6th August, 2019 (via civil_hama)

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
    3 – 5
  • (3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–30
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (30) [ collapse]