Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4134

Incident date

November 5, 2019

Location

الدار الكبيرة, Dar al Kabira, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.606682, 36.516139 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three children (brothers), named as Israa (6 years old), Bara’a (1.5 years old), and Hakem Khaled Adnan al Saleh (4 years old), died and their mother and others were wounded in an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on their home in Dar al Kabira at dawn on November 5, 2019, according to local media.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported: “The sibling children Israa, Bara’a and Hakem Khaled Adnan al Saleh, displaced from al Latamena town in the northwestern suburbs of Hama governorate, were killed and their mother was injured as fixed- wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on their house in al Dar al Kabira village in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate, on November 5, 2019.” A tweet from @asseraaalsham identified Israa and Baraa as “daughters.”

@abuhuzaifa_ also pointed to the regime, tweeting: “Bashar al-Assad and his regime writes its constitution with the blood of children and the massacres he makes daily with the Russian occupation. This criminal is protected by his constitution shedding the blood of innocent people”.

A tweet from @muhammad_salhab reported “three children were killed and a number of civilians were wounded, as a result of Russian high-explosive missiles targeting the town of al-Dar al-Kabira in the southern countryside of Idlib.” @0120541i also identified “several” people as being wounded.

@NEDAAPOST identified that the children and mother were trapped under the rubble following the airstrikes. @media_idlib reported that “civil defense teams recovered the bodies of the children and rescued the injured woman to the nearest medical point.”

Sources published exceptionally graphic images of the dead children.

The vast majority of the sources attributed the strikes to Russia. However, a tweet by @asseraaalsham blamed the regime for the strikes.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

6 years old female killed
1.5 years old female killed
4 years old male killed
Adult female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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

Sources (41) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Warning: very graphic. Images of the dead children. Translation: "Bashar al-Assad and his regime writes its constitution with the blood of children and the massacres he makes daily with the Russian occupation. This criminal is protected by his constitution shedding the blood of innocent people"
  • The White Helmets attend the scene of an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on a family's home in Dar Al Kabira, Nov 5th 2019 (via SN4HR)
  • Caption translation: Today, Tuesday, Russian warplanes killed three children and seriously wounded their mother as a result of targeting their home by two air strikes in the village of Al-Dar Al-Kabira in the southern countryside of Idlib. Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of the children and rescued the injured woman to the nearest medical point. (Images posted by @media_idlib)
  • Caption translation: Today, Tuesday, Russian warplanes killed three children and seriously wounded their mother as a result of targeting their home by two air strikes in the village of Al-Dar Al-Kabira in the southern countryside of Idlib. Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of the children and rescued the injured woman to the nearest medical point. (Images posted by @media_idlib)
  • Caption translation: Today, Tuesday, Russian warplanes killed three children and seriously wounded their mother as a result of targeting their home by two air strikes in the village of Al-Dar Al-Kabira in the southern countryside of Idlib. Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of the children and rescued the injured woman to the nearest medical point. (Images posted by @media_idlib)

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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

Sources (41) [ collapse]