Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS4499

Incident date

March 2, 2020

Location

الفوعة, Al Fou’a, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to 11 civilians were killed, including at least one child, and 6 to more than 10 others, including a woman, were wounded as a result of alleged Russian airstrikes on residential neighborhoods in the town of Al Fu’ah, northeast of Idlib on the evening of March 2nd, 2020 according to local sources and news agencies.

Most of the sources initially reported the death of 9 civilians. However, some other sources such as SCD stated the day after the attack that the raids allegedly committed by Russian warplanes on Al Fu’ah killed 11 civilians. SCD added that the civil defense team spent three hours searching for the missing under the rubble and recovering their bodies. Two days after the attack Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the names of two of the victims killed but it is unclear if this was their final death toll. The lowest number of civilians killed provided by a source was six civilians reported by Shaam News.

Among the people killed, local sources mentioned the names of the child Muhammad Fadi Al-Hafyan who is originally from the city of Ma’arat Al Numan, young Amer, young Mohammed Abu Hudhaifa, and his father Abdo Abu Fayyad who were displaced from the city of Darayya and Abu Ali Qassem. SNHR documented only the names of the child Muhammad Fadi Al-Hafyan and Abdo Abu Fayyad. A tweet from @anasanas84 mentioned that the victims of the strikes were “displaced persons from the city of Damascus”.

Most of the sources said that many were wounded to varying degrees in the attack. SCD reported that 6, including a woman, were injured while Shahba press said that there were more than 10 civilians injured. Ambulances transported the wounded to medical points in the area.

SNHR mentioned that the airstrikes were on the victims’ place near a military site of a faction of the armed opposition in Al Fu’ah. A Syrian Journalist called Rami Mustafa reported that Russian warplanes attacked civilian homes in the center of the town with four air raids. On the other hand, one source called TN Network claimed that the airstrikes were on gatherings of militants inside the town of Al Fu’ah and the gunmen inside the town were on their way to the fronts of contact with the Syrian army.

The airstrikes caused great destruction and significant damage in residential neighborhoods in the town of Al Fu’ah according to local sources and pictures posted from the affected areas.

All the sources that reported on the incident claimed that Russia was responsible for the airstrikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abdo Abu Fayyad عبدو أبو فياض
Adult male killed
Mohammed Abu Hudhaifa محمد أبو حذيفة
male killed

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed
Amer عامر
Age unknown killed
Abu Ali Qassem ابو علي قاسم
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 11
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–11
  • 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 belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (45) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (31) [ collapse]

  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering victims after alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Al Fou'a, Idlib governorate, on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers helping a presumbably injured man after alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Al Fou'a, Idlib governorate, on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers searching the rubble after after alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Al Fou'a, Idlib governorate, on March 2nd, 2020 (via SCD).
  • Abdo Abu Fayyad and his young son Mohammed Abu Hudhaifa, both killed in killed in strikes on Al Fou’a on March 2, 2020. (Image posted by Mohamed19801980 via Facebook)
  • One of the victims of strikes on Al Fou’a on March 2, 2020. (Image posted by Mohamed19801980 via Facebook)
  • Mohammed Abu Hudhaifa, killed along with his father in strikes on Al Fou’a on March 2, 2020. (Image posted by Mohamed19801980 via Facebook)
  • Abdo Abu Fayyad, killed along with his son in strikes on Al Fou’a on March 2, 2020. (Image posted by Abu Omar via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by GhoutaaGMC via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by GhoutaaGMC via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by GhoutaaGMC via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by GhoutaaGMC via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by GhoutaaGMC via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Shafak.med.56 via Facebook)
  • Airstrike on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Shafak.med.56 via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Shafak.med.56 via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Shafak.med.56 via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Shafak.med.56 via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Destruction caused by airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Zaitun Media via Facebook)
  • Rescue crews respond to airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Turke3s via Facebook)
  • Rescue crews respond to airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Turke3s via Facebook)
  • Rescue crews respond to airstrikes on Al Fou’a on March 3, 2020. (Image posted by Sada.media.foundation2 via Facebook)

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
    6 – 11
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–11
  • 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 belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (45) [ collapse]