Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4256

Incident date

December 17, 2019

Location

تلمنس,, Tal Menes, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Between six to ten civilians, all belonging to one family, were reportedly killed in what local media described as “a massacre” in Tal Menes in Idlib, in the evening of December 17th, 2019. Among the casualties were reportedly three children and at least three women. Dozens more were reported wounded. The incident was referred to as “Black Tuesday” by the local media due to the severity of the military escalation in the cities and towns of Idlib on that day.

Several sources identified the victims as family members Iman Al-Farhoud (14), Amir Younis Al-Farhoud (10), Younis Al-FarhoudAsi Abdel Moeen Al-FarhoudBilal Ahmed Al-FarhoudAsi Hamadou Azazi (mother of Bilal and Asi) and Shifa Al-Farhoud.

While Halab Today TV claimed that six people had been killed, Jesr Press reported that a total of ten people, among them four women, had died. According to Smart News, five other civilians, including two women, had been injured. MMC reported instead that “dozens” of civilians had been injured during the attack.

The attack caused extensive material damage.

The sources make competing claims as to whether Russian or regime forces were responsible for the attack. A number of sources claimed that the airstrike was conducted by Sukhoi-24 planes, while others reported that helicopters dropped barrel bombs. According to Smart News, a total of three missiles had been shot into the residential areas.

The incident is documented in detail with footage. Video footage and images show heavily destroyed buildings as well as wounded children after the attack. The Syrian Civil Defense released a video showing them during their rescue operation shortly after the attack, searching for survivors in the rubble and removing corpses from the affected area.

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (7)

Iman Al-Farhoud -ايمان الفرهود
14 years old male killed
Amir Younis Al-Farhoud -أمير يونس الفرهود
10 years old male killed
Younis Al-Farhoud يونس الفرهود
male killed
Asi Abdel Moeen Al-Farhoud آسي عبدالمعين الفرهود
Age unknown female killed
Bilal Ahmed Al-Farhoud بلال أحمد الفرهود
Age unknown male killed
Assi Hamadou Azazi, mother of Younis and Bilal آسيا حمّادو اعزازي, والدة يونس وبلال
Age unknown female killed
Shifa شفاء يونس الفرهود
male killed

The victims were named as:

Juma'a Khalil Al-Ahmad جمعة خليل الأحمد
Age unknown male killed
Fatima Al-Abdullah فاطمة العبدلله
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • (3 children1–4 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (46) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (23) [ collapse]

  • Smoke rises over Telmans, Dec 19th, following an alleged regime barrel bombing (via EMC)
  • Smoke rises over Telmans, Dec 19th, following an alleged regime barrel bombing (via EMC)
  • The aftermath of an alleged regime airstrike on Telmans, Dec 9th (via EMC)
  • The aftermath of an alleged regime airstrike on Telmans, Dec 9th (via EMC)
  • The aftermath of an alleged regime airstrike on Telmans, Dec 9th (via EMC)
  • Civilian casualties following a strike on Telmans, Dec 19th (via MMC)
  • Civilian casualties following a strike on Telmans, Dec 19th (via MMC)
  • Civilian casualties following a strike on Telmans, Dec 19th (via MMC)
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers carrying a dead body into an ambulance in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers arriving to the affected areas in an ambulance in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • A women sitting next to a dead body in an Syrian Civil Defence ambulance in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • A man and a woman mourning in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Human remains of a child in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • Human remains between rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • A destroyed house in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • A Syrian Civil Defence volunteer removing what seems to be the remains of a human corpse from the rubble in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).
  • A Syrian Civil Defence volunteer inspecting the remains of a dead child in the aftermath of an alleged Russian/Syrian regime airstrike on December 17th, 2019 (via Smart News).

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
    6 – 10
  • (3 children1–4 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • 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 belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (46) [ collapse]