Incident Codes

RS619 CS174

Location

مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان, Maarat al Numan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.647038, 36.679174
Accuracy: City

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Codes: R545S163b)

The Russian government accused the Coalition of killing nine civilians and injuring 26 in an airstrike on an MSF hospital at Maarat al Numan. This was later denied, with a Coalition report insisting “No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.”

According to a document and map issued by the Russian foreign ministry “On 15 February 2016 the airstrike by the US-led coalition was delivered on the “Medecins sans frontierès” hospital near the Maared al-Nuuman village. As a result of this attack 9 people were killed and 26 wounded.”

However Russia itself – along with the Assad regime – were accused of the same incident. Shaam News Network reported that the Health Directorate in Iblib “issued a statement regarding the Russian raids that targeted field hospitals today in a rural Idlib and Aleppo. The statement said that Russian warplanes had on Monday conducted air strikes which targeted a number of villages in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib and that the largest share in these raids was the medical facilities.

It went on to say that at “around eleven o’clock, the Russian Aviation raid targeted the Central Hospital (National) in the town of Maaret al-Numan killing three martyrs, including a nurse and a large number of wounded.

SNN also posted a video – not specific only to this incident – entitled ‘The day of the destruction of hospitals: 5 main medical centres are out of service as a result of the planes and missiles of the Russian enemy.’

Reuters reported that “about 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit five medical centers and two schools in rebel-held Syrian towns on Monday“, according to the United Nations and local residents. The report cited the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: “Also in Marat Numan, another strike hit the National Hospital on the north edge of town, killing two nurses, the Observatory said.” But the report did not say whether Russia or the regime were responsible.

Ten images were published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights showing “destruction by bombing by warplanes believed to be Russian on two hospitals in Maarrat al-Nu’man and its vicinity.” It said a strike on one hospital “supported by an international medical organization, killed and injured tens of people including nurses, besides missing people under the rubble which also includes nurses and doctors.” It is not clear whether these photos refer to this incident or the other incident in Maarat al Numan on this day, a strike on a MSF hospital (see entry below for February 15th).

SO4HR put the final death toll of the bombing of two hospitals (the “National hospital” which this incident refers to and the MSF hospital in the separate incident – listed below – also on February 15th) at 31 including “four children, three women citizens, and 11 doctors, nurses and laboratory specialist“.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed shelling by the regime, which they said killed a nurse, named as Amena Hussein Al Hasan.

In their February 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

Victims

Invidivuals

Amena Hussein Al Hasan
Adult female Named by SN4HR killed

Key Information

Country
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
3–9
Civilians reported injured
26

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Maarat al Numan (مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.647038, 36.679174. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Unknown Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Unknown
Unknown position on incident
Not yet assessed
Unknown Strike Report
Russia has not reported any airstrikes in Idlib for February 10th – February 16th. Additionally, they published the following in response to allegations of strikes on hospitals in the governorate for this date:
Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
MGRS coordinate
37SBV898472
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For February 14th-16th 2016, the Coalition publicly reported no strikes in Idlib governorate. However, any unilateral US strikes against al Nusra targets in Idlib were not publicly reported by the Coalition.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2020-02-02
Original Source
Feb. 15, 2016, in Maarat al Numan, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2905/CS174 37SBV898472

Media From Sources (14)