Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS442

Incident date

January 22, 2016

Location

الباب, Bab al Hawa, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.228656, 36.697878 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between six and 35 civilians were killed and up to 65 injured in an airstrike on Bab al Hawa, according to local sources – though reports are conflicted as to whether the raid was the work of Russian forces or the Assad regime.

The White Helmets reported that 30 non-combatants were killed and 65 injured when warplanes carried out consecutive strikes on Bab al Hawa, but they did not say who the planes belonged to. They added that un-exploded ballistic missiles were found in the areas and that members of their team were targeted by further planes while carrying out the rescue mission.

However, in a later video showing children being rescued from the rubble, they said that Russia carried out the strikes.

The Shaam News Network also blamed Russia, reporting that warplanes bombed old garages in the countryside of Idlib and the edges of camps for displaced people in Bab al Hawa. They added that six raids targeted civilian homes and public facilities in the area.

Activists told SNN that the shelling resulted in “a terrible massacre against civilians and children killing more than ten people and wounding more than 20.”

Graphic images were published by Ma’ara Now News showing the aftermath of an alleged Russian strike in “the square of Bab al Hawa“, which they said killed 10 civilians.

Smart also blamed Russia and published a video showing destruction caused by rais which they said killed 17 and injured 50 more. A witness told the agency: “The aircraft carried out two raids on the area, and then followed by two missiles, one ballistic and the other cluster.”

According to Orient News, 17 civilians died in eight Russian strikes – though at the time of filming the video they said they didn’t have a final count for the dead and injured.

Videos by Citizen Journalist also attributed the incident to Russia and depicted what they said were damaged civilian homes as the civil defence searched for survivors. They reported up to six Russian strikes.

Halab News put the death toll at 35, with 65 wounded in alleged Russian strikes.

Syrian News Desk reported: “The media opposition activist Alaa al-Din Muhammad told to ‘the Office of the Syria News’ that Russian warplanes carried out five raids on the old crossing point and yard at Bab Al-Hawa  the outskirts of Sarmada city, killing 13 civilians and four members of the opposition factions, and injuring at least 30 others wounded, including women and children“.

The source added that the raids had also targeted two warehouses used to store materials, resulting in fires.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said that aircraft of the Assad regime were responsible. They put the death toll at six.

Reporting on the aerial bombardment of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the number of people killed in Bab al Hawa and Sarmada had risen to 28, including four children and a woman, in addition to an “Uzbek family and 22 rebels.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mahmoud Haj Mohammed.
Age unknown male named by Halab News killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 35
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    65
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • Members of the White Helmets search for survivors following a strike on Bab al Hawa, January 22nd 2016. (via White Helmets)
  • Footage showing the aftermath of the incident. (via, SNN)
  • Members of the White Helmets search for survivors following a strike on Bab al Hawa, January 22nd 2016. (via White Helmets)
  • The aftermath of the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, SNN)
  • The White Helmets rescuing people from the rubble. (via SNN)
  • Minor damage to the outside of a shop. (via, SNN)
  • Civilian housing damaged in the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid. (via, SNN)
  • Chaos in the mediate aftermath of the incident as White Helmets try to dig civilians out of the rubble. (via, SNN)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A civilian dragged from his car after he was caught in the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid on Bab al Hawa. (via, Citizen Journalist)
  • White Helmets continue to move rubble following the incident on 22nd January 2016. (via, Citizen Journalist)
  • The exact moment the alleged Russian and Syrian Regime raid hit. (via, Citizen Journalist)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Extremely graphic video of a deceased child with a concaved skull and loss of limbs following an alleged Russian and Syrian Regime airstrike on Bab Al-Hawa. (via, Citizen Journalist)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

In its military report published on 25th January, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last three days, January 22-24, aircraft of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic performed 169 combat sorties engaging 484 objects of terrorists’ infrastructure…crews of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers performed 18 combat sorties from the territory of the Russian Federation in order to engage manpower and hardware of the ISIS near Deir ez-Zor on January 22-24. Flight range reached more than 2,000 kilometers.“

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 35
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    65
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]