Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4190

Incident date

November 21, 2019

Location

معرة النعمان, Maarat Numan, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Three civilians, including two children, were reported killed and a number of others were wounded by a mortar or a cluster bomb from the remnants of previous strikes by Russian Forces or the Syrian regime forces on Ma’arat Al Numan in Idlib, on November 21st, 2019, according to local sources.

A tweet from @oulaalassaad named three of the people killed: Alaa Karkas 14, Muhammad Karkas 12, Mustafa Karkas 25.

@alhariri58 added that in addition to the three people killed, a number of other civilians were injured in the explosion and @Nabel_othman023 referred to “many” injured without specifying how many.

While Macro Media Center (MMC) blamed the Syrian regime by saying the casulaties were caused “after a mortar shell from the remnants of the previous shelling of al-Assad forces exploded in Maaret al-Nu’man city south of Idlib”, ShahbaPress pointed to the Russian forces saying civilians were killed “when a cluster bomb exploded from the remnants of Russian raids on the city of Maarat al-Numan in rural area Idlib”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Alaa Karkas
14 years old killed
Muhammad Karkas
12 years old killed
Mustafa Karkas
25 years old killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • White Helmets respond to an explosion that killed three people in Maarat al-Numan on November 21, 2019. (Image posted by Syrian Civil Defense)
  • Damage from an explosion that killed three people in Maarat al-Numan on November 21, 2019. (Image posted by @SyrianCoalition)

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
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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

Sources (19) [ collapse]