Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between six and 18 civilians including two children were killed – and 15 others injured – in airstrikes on Al Buliyal, according to local sources. Most sources alleged that Russian forces carried out the strikes, though an initial report by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently said that regime warplanes were responsible – but subsequent reports by this source then went on to blame Russian aviation. However, a report by Syria2011 appeared to attribute the incident to the Assad regime.
The Shaam News Network reported on “violent clashes between elements of the state regulation and the forces of Assad on the western and southern fronts of the city of Deir ez-Zor“, and the “unprecedented movement of Russian aviation” in the region in support of Assad’s forces.
Activists told SNN that Russian warplanes “committed a horrible massacre…against dozens of civilians in the village of Albuliyal“, with several raids using cluster bombs targeting houses in the city centre.
According to an initial report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “suspected Russian warplanes” killed 11 non-combatants, including two children.
However, a subsequent report by SN4HR put the death toll lower, at six, with 15 others wounded.
Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently initially said that regime warplanes carried out the raids, killing six people. But further reports all blamed Russian cluster bombs. They added that there was also a raid on a repair shop in Al Buliyal, resulting in several deaths and more injuries.
Smo-sy blamed Russia, and said that according to activists the airstrikes were on “the perimeter of theAl-Nour mosque and the Islah neighbourhood in the village of Albulayll,” leading to 18 deaths.
But Syria2011 appeared to blame the Assad regime: “sixteen martyrs and dozens wounded as the result of Assad’s military aviation targeting the vicinity of ALNOUR mosque and elSalah“.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Buliyal Islah neighbourhood (البوليل), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.20253, 40.37126. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (16) [ collapse]
Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
In its report for military actions on January 19 2016, the Kremlin reports carrying out strikes in Deir ez-Zor governorate: “In the course of the last four days, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 157 combat sorties engaging 579 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure in the provinces of Aleppo, Raqqah, Latakia, Homs, Hama and Deir ez-Zor.” It added: “Near al-Baghiliyah (Deir ez-Zor province), where the ISIS militants performed a massive execution of about 300 civilians in order to frighten citizens a day ago, a Russian Su-34 bomber made a strike on terrorists’ strong points. Direct hits caused elimination of 3 heavy vehicles with ZU-23 systems, 2 off-roaders with heavy weapons and more than 60 terrorists.“