Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS447

Incident date

January 22, 2016

Location

البوليل, Al Buliyal, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.20253, 40.37126 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 10 and 15 non-combatants died and dozens more were injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on the Al Dallou neighbourhood of Al Buliyal, according to multiple sources.

The Shaam News Network reported on a “new massacre in addition to the daily massacres committed by Russian aircraft against civilians in the countryside of Deir al-Zour and areas under the control of IS“, adding that after an attack carried out by Daesh against Assad’s forces Russia had responded by bombing civilians on a daily basis.

They said that the incident in Al Buliyal was the third “massacre” and the second in this town within the last few days. According to the Network, Russian aviation targeted civilians’ homes in the town with several high-explosive rockets. They put the initial death toll at 10, with dozens more wounded.

But a subsequent report by SNN said that even more people had been killed – “more than 15” – when Russian vacuum missiles hit residential buildings in “Al dilou street“. Many more, they added, were injured, with most of them being children.

Deir Ezzor is Being Silently Slaughtered put the number killed at 10, also blaming Russia.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that 12 people were killed, including one child and two women, in an attack by “alleged Russian warplanes“.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights provided a backgrounder explaining several incidents in Al Buliyal, reporting on violent clashes between Daesh and regime forces.

Nine victims were named by the Violations Documentation Centre including one Unidentified adult male.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Family members (2)

Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Family members (2)

Adult male killed
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 15
  • (1 child2 women8 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Clouds of smoke over the Dallou neighbourhood in Al Buliya, following an alleged Russian raid, Jan 22nd (via Deir Ezzor is Being Silently Slaughtered)
  • Image showing the moment of an alleged Russian strike on Al Buliyal, January 22nd 2016. (via, Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently)
  • Taher Mohammad al-Ahmad, killed in an alleged Russian raid on Al Buliyal, 22nd January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • Mustafa Mohammad al-Ahmad, killed in an alleged Russian raid on Al Buliyal, 22nd January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • Hussain Hamdan al-Khalaf, killed in an alleged Russian raid on Al Buliyal, 22nd January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • An alleged Russian airstrike falls near a residential building in Al Buliyal. (via, Deir ezzor is being Slaughtered Silently)

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.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 15
  • (1 child2 women8 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]