Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS462

Incident date

January 26, 2016

Location

جرجناز, Jarjanaz, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.617076, 36.783132 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and five civilians including one child and three women died in airstrikes on Jarnaz, according to local sources. Five sources alleged that Russia was responsible, but a fifth – the Violations Documentation Center – blamed the Assad regime.

Syria 2011 said that four died and a number were wounded when rockets were fired from Russian battleships, but provided no further information.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee also put the death toll at four, including three women, and blamed Russian warplanes.

Syrian News Desk said that three civilians were injured in addition to the four that died – and also attributed the attack to Russia.

Shahba Press reported that Russian airstrikes killed at least five civilians.

According to Alsouria, three non-combatants died when Russia fired vacuum missiles, which also destroyed parts of residential buildings.

However, the Violations Documentation Center named four civilians – three women and one child – as killed in regime airstrikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Child female killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Jarjanaz (جرجناز), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.617076, 36.783132. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

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 1st February 2016, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last week, the Russian aircraft in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 468 combat sorties engaging 1354 terrorists’ infrastructural facilities in the Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqah, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. Among them – 24 ones were carried out by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from the Russian territory,” but makes no mention of strikes in Idlib.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (1 child3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]