Airwars assessment
Three civilian men were reported killed in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib governorate, on August 8th, 2019, according to local sources. An unknown number of others were injured.
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “a civilian was killed, and others were injured, due to aerial bombardment by Russian planes on Khan Sheikhoun city in the southern countryside of Idlib.”
Other sources cited the death of “two civilians” and a “number injured.”
Baladi News stated that “three civilians were martyred on Thursday, due to a joint airstrike by Russian warplanes and another to the Assad regime, targeting the city of “Khan Sheikhoun” in the southern countryside of Idlib.”
According to this source, “two civilians were killed in intensive Russian raids on residential neighbourhoods in the city of Khan Sheikhoun. A displaced person from the northern countryside of Hama was also martyred due to the bombardment of the city with barrel bombs by the regime’s helicopters.”
Similarly, Shaam News Network reported that “activists said Assad’s warplanes, helicopters and Russian warplanes stepped up from the airstrikes on the city of Khan Sheikhoun, focusing on residential neighbourhoods and farms near the city, leaving three martyrs and a number of wounded among civilians, in addition to the destruction of residential buildings.”
Several sources, including @abuhuzaifa_, identified the victims as Wissam Abdel Hamid Al Nisr, Khaled Fakhri Al Najm and Hussein Al Nassif.
According to a SyriaTV correspondent, Wissam Abdul Hamid Al Nisr and Khaled Fakhry Al Najm died today in Russian airstrikes on Khan Sheikhoun, while Hussein Nassif from the city of Al Latamina was killed in strikes by regime helicopters on agricultural land between the cities of Morek and Khan Sheikhoun. Because sources disagree on whether the third victim was killed in this same event or other alleged Syrian regime strikes, the death toll for this event is put at 2 to 3 civilians.
Zaitun Mag wrote that, according to the Syrian Civil Defence, “Russian warplanes targeted the city of Khan Sheikhoun with 15 raids and Assad’s air force with 35 raids, in addition to 5 barrels and 7 artillery shells that hit residential areas, which led to great damage to residential homes.”
Many sources named only Russian forces in reporting the incident, however, a number of sources stated that both Russian forces and the Syrian regime were responsible for the attack.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
- Hussein Nidal Al Nassif Adult male from Al Lataminah killed
- Khaled Fakhri Al Najm Adult male killed
- Wissam Hameed Al Nisr Adult male killed