Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4078

Incident date

August 26, 2019

Location

احسم, Ahsem, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Five or six civilians including two children were reportedly wounded in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on Ahsem. Sources said that both a secondary school and a mosque were struck.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “Fixed- wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on Ihsem Secondary School in Ihsem town in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate, partially destroying its building and severely damaging its furniture, on August 26. We note that the school was attacked by Syrian regime fixed- wing warplanes, on June 14.”

In a separate post, SN4HR added: “Fixed- wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on al Qadim Mosque, known as al Arab’in Mosque, in Ihsem town in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate, severely damaging its building, on August 26. We note that the mosque was attacked by Syrian regime fixed- wing warplanes, on June 14.”

The White Helmets reported: “Five civilians, including three children and a woman, were injured due to warplanes shelling civilian houses in the center of Ihsam town in Edlib countryside. Our teams were there with civilians.”

Many sources blamed Russia, and others blamed the Syrian regime. @NagiNajjar tweeted “Helicopters target with barrel bombs the town of Ahsam in the southern countryside of Idlib.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • The ruins of Al Qadim Mosque (via SN4HR)
  • Ihsem secondary school (via SN4HR)
  • The White Helmets attend the scene of a strike on Ahsem, Aug 26th (via White Helmets)
  • Caption translation: "Warplanes target the terrorist organizations in the town of Ihsim, in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region in the southern countryside of Idlib."
  • Caption translation: "5 injuries, including 3 women, in 4 air strikes with explosive missiles that targeted civilian homes and the main market in the center of Ihsim town in Idlib countryside."
  • A Syrian Civil Defence volunteer walking an injured man as a result of alleged Russian or Syrian regime strikes on Ihsem in Idlib on Aug 26th, 2019. (via @IdlibPlus)
  • Caption translation: "The moment the warplanes targeted the town of # Ahsam in Idlib countryside, which caused a number of casualties among the ranks of the two civilians."
  • Caption translation: "Aerial bombardment of the Russian occupier on # Ahsam amid an unprecedented global silence. "
  • Caption translation: "The moment the warplanes targeted the town of Ahsem in the southern countryside of Idlib, which left a number of wounded."

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
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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 (17) [ collapse]