Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4314

Incident date

January 17–18, 2020

Location

جمعية بالا, Jama'ait Bala, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Five civilians of the same family, including three children, were killed and others were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes in the village of Jama’ait Bala, Aleppo governorate, in the night of January 17th to January 18th, 2020, according to local sources.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that “the children Dalal and Abdullah Sabouneh, their father Muhammad Adib Sabouneh and their mother Qamar Helal were killed as fixed-wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on their house in Jam’iyet Balah area located near in Einjara village in the western suburbs of Aleppo suburbs, on January 18, 2020″. The SCD also reported that their sister Rihan Sabouneh was killed. In one post, the SCD stated that a shelter was targeted, but in another post, they speak of a residential home as the target of the strike. SCD Aleppo reported that the family had been displaced earlier.

Smart reported that in the night from Friday to Saturday a Russian bomb struck the shelter 16km west of Aleppo, killing the two parents and their two children. LCYY and JISIR provided some further detail, stating that the alleged Russian airstrike was conducted at 00:07 am, killing the Sabouneh family.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a man and woman and their three children had died. Step Agency reported an unknown number of civilians was wounded.

The Syrian Civil Defence wrote on Facebook that “despite the truce declared by the guarantor parties Russia and Turkey, there were continued airstrikes and artillery shelling by the regime forces and its Russian ally yesterday, on Idlib, its countryside, western Hama and Aleppo, killing five civilians, including two children and a woman, and wounding four others with a will in the countryside of Aleppo. Our teams documented targeting 17 cities and towns with 31 airstrikes, and more than 79 artillery shells.”

The suspected attacker has mostly been alleged to be the Russian Armed Forces, by sources such as SHaam and Halap today. SCD on the other hand reported on the involvement of the Russian Armed Forces and the Syrian Armed Forces.

The incident occured around midnight.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child female killed
Child female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (35) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Footage of aftermath of alleged Russian airstrike on Jam'ait Bala in the night of January 17th to 18th, 2020 (via @abuhuzaifa_).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Russian airstrike on Jam'ait Bala in the night of January 17th to 18th, 2020 (via @abuhuzaifa_).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Russian airstrike on Jam'ait Bala in the night of January 17th to 18th, 2020 (via @abuhuzaifa_).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of alleged Russian airstrike on Jam'ait Bala in the night of January 17th to 18th, 2020 (via @abuhuzaifa_).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteer sitting by the bodies of victims killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on the village of Jama'ait Bala, Aleppo governorate in the night of January 17th to January 18th, 2020 (via SNHR).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers and civilians looking for victims underneath the rubble after alleged Russian airstrikes on the village of Jama'ait Bala in the night of January 17th to 18th, 2020 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Syrian Civil Defence volunteer sitting by the bodies of victims killed in an alleged Russian airstrike on the village of Jama'ait Bala, Aleppo governorate in the night of January 17th to January 18th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (35) [ collapse]