Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3992

Incident date

August 6, 2019

Location

مزرعة كفرطاب خان شيخون, Kafar Tab farm, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib , Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to eight civilians most if them from the same family were reported killed and further three to four others were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian airstrikes or artillery shelling on their farm in Khan Sheikoun, Idlib, in the afternoon of August 6th 2019. The victims were pistachio workers as local sources said.

The Syrian Civil Defense said on that day that “the city Khan Sheikhon received the largest share of attacks [Russia and regime], and was exposed to 44 air strikes, in addition to 12 barrels of explosives and 33 artillery shells.” SMART News agency said that vacuum missiles were used in the attack.

Shaam News stated that “Russian warplanes targeted Kafar tab farm in Khan Sheikhoun in several raids which hit the house of a family of eight people. […] Activists reported four martyred civilians, with missing family members still being searched for amongst the rubble.” The house was destructed on its residents.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the death of “four citizens, and the injury of three, in a bombing by Russian warplanes on Khan Sheikhoun city in the southern side of Idlib countryside.” According to this source, “the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in a critical situation.”

Baladi News alleged that “three civilians from one family were killed, while four others were injured, as a result of airstrikes by Russian warplanes targeting their house on the western farms of the city of Khan Sheikhoun.”

@aboalhodaalhoms tweeted: “The death toll of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib increased to 8 martyrs, and many were wounded in a Russian terrorist airstrike”. However,

Sources predominantly attributed the attack to Russia, but the Syrian regime was also named by a number of sources in reports of the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Family members (2)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 8
  • (3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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

Sources (43) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Civil Defense volunteers in the location of earlier Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib. (via @SyrianCoalition)
  • Aftermath of Russian airstrikes that targeted a house near the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib. (via Baladi News)
  • Civil Defense volunteers in the location of earlier Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib. (via @SyrianCoalition)
  • Civil Defense volunteers in the location of earlier Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib. (via @SyrianCoalition)
  • Civilians looking at the scale of damage caused by alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike or artillery shelling on Khan Sheikhoun on Monday afternoon on August the 6th, 2019 (via @DOTArabic)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A video capturing three bodies of civilians who were killed by Syrian or Russian Bombing on Khan Sheikhoun on August the 6th 2019. In the video, they uncover the face of one of the civilians who were killed and he was identified as one of Al-Najm family. (via @la1mea)
  • Caption translation: "The militias of the criminal regime bombed the residential neighbourhoods in the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib, causing damage and destruction and the bombing coincided with the flight of reconnaissance aircraft over the sky of the area" (via Ebaa)

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
    4 – 8
  • (3–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • 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

Sources (43) [ collapse]