Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS451

Incident date

January 23, 2016

Location

خشام, Khusham, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3020098, 40.2914143 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 61 and 90 civilians including two women and 11 children were killed – and between 40 and 100 others injured – in airstrikes on Khusham, according to multiple sources. While three of the five sources say that Russia was responsible for the attack, there was some uncertainty from the Syrian Network for Human Rights whether Russia or the regime were to blame.

Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that Russian aircraft targeted the centre of the village of Khusham, near the “clinic of Sushi Mleihan“. They published eight reports in which they named some of those killed and documented the rising death toll, which they finally put at 90, with more than 100 wounded.

The Shaam News Network also said that Russia carried out the raids, killing “at least 50 civilians” and injuring dozens more. They said that warplanes shelled several neighbourhoods, causing widespread destruction to civilian property including shops. But a subsequent report by SNN – referring to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights – said that the death toll rose to at least 61 including 11 children and two women who were killed when “suspected Russian warplanes” fired four missiles.

In confused reporting, the Syrian Network for Human Rights initially said Russian warplanes killed 61 and wounded nearly 40 others when four missiles were launched on Khusham. But two subsequent reports said it was not clear whether Russia or the Assad regime were responsible. However, a final report on February 5 once more blamed Russia, again putting the death toll at 61.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 33 non-combatants died, but the Observatory did not say who the “warplanes” belonged to.” They added that the death toll was likely to rise as many people were in a critical condition.

26 victims (killed “in a massacre due to Russian air forces shelling“) were named by the Violations Documentation Centre including one Unidentified male child.

Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently named another 41 victims, including 4 members of a refugee family from Homs.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ghazi al Doulab
Adult male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The wife of Ghazi al Doulab
Adult female named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed

Family members (2)

Darik Khudar Al Subkhan
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mohammad Darik Khudar Al Subkhan
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed

Family members (3)

Shawwakh Al Shalash Al Jabr
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Abd Shawwakh Al Shalash Al Jabr
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The son of Rakan Hasan Al Shalash al Jabr
Child male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed

Family members (7)

Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Age unknown refugee from Idlib, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed

Family members (2)

Adult male killed
Adult female killed

Family members (2)

Family members (2)

Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Family members (3)

Adult male killed

Family members (4)

Family members (3)

Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Ahmad Alwan
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Jibreel Al Said Khalaf
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mohammad Al Ahmad
Age unknown male from the family of Alwan – abu Hamam, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The son of Mohammad al Nouri
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Ali Manzil Al Zakari
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Ammar Mohammad Al Ismail
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Ali Khalaf al Aoued
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Ali Abdullah Tabini Al Hamad
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mohammad Saddouk Al Hammoud
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Turki Ramadan Al Saleh
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Hussein Hassani Al Kalikal
Age unknown from Marat, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Abboud Al Badrani
Age unknown a refugee from Marat, named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Zai’yan Al Dahl Al Dibbe
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mu’az Hasan Ali al Ahmad Al Habbash
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Eid Zai’m Salman Hamad Al A’wwad
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Abd Al Wahab Jamal Mustafa Hamida al Hayess
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Hussein Al Shalash Al Jabr Al Mulazem
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The daughter of Mohamad A’kla Al Saleh Al Eid
Child female named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The son of Mohammad Al Ali Al Sarhan
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The son of Hassan Ali Al A’feen
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Abdo Shei’bi Al Hamad Al Jawar
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
The daughter of Omar Hamada Al Ma’idi
Age unknown female named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mohammad Albua’bta
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Mohammad Issa Al Khalil
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Child killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    61 – 90
  • (11 children2 women22 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40–100
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A photo of Ghazi Al Doulab who was killed with his wife and two of his daughters in law and Tali’l Al Obeid in an alleged Russian strike on Khusham, January 23rd 2016. (via, Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Ibraheem Eid Shlash, killed in an alleged Russian raid on 23rd January 2016. (via, VDC)
  • The aftermath of an alleged airstrike from 23rd January 2016. (via, SOHR)

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
    61 – 90
  • (11 children2 women22 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    40–100
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]