Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS632

Incident date

February 17, 2016

Location

تل نصري, Nasri, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.64086, 40.36756 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to five civilians including two children and possibly a woman were killed in an airstrike on Nasri, according to local sources – though reports were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

Hassaka’s Youth Union reported that “two orphaned children, the grandchildren of the citizen Mohammad Al Khaled, were martyred and their mother was injured following an air raid on the village of al Nasri in abdul Aziz mountain.” But they did not say who was responsible.

However, the Shaam News Network and All4Syria blamed Russia, while the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies also said it was likely that Russian warplanes committed the attack.

Siraj al Hasskawi said that there was a second Russian bombing on Nasri, targeting civilian homes of “two orphaned children who were killed by the Russian bombardment and their mother injured, it should be noted here that these villages are inhabited by the al bouma’eesh clan from AlBakara al A’rabiya tribe.

But Al Arabi Aljadid said the regime was responsible and put the death toll higher at four including two children, all from one family.

Syrian Desk News also blamed the regime, citing the death of the two children and the wounding of two other non-combatants, again all from the same family.

A Hassakah activist, Siraj Al Hasskawi, reported that the injured mother, named as Mrs Fidda Al Maghir, later died from her wounds, though it was unclear from the post who carried out the attack, saying that she joined her children “who were killed by the bombing of Russian, American and Assad planes in the village of Al Nasri in Abdul Aziz mountain west of Al Hassaka.

According to Alhasakaalhadath, “Two orphans, descendants of Mohammed Al-Khaled died and their mother was hit by an air raid on the village of Nazareth, mount Abdulaziz.” The source did not say who was responsible.

But Albawaba News reported that it was likely a Russian strike occurring at 11am, when two missiles targeted a home where two children lived. The report said that the children died – grandchildren of Mohammed al Khaled – while their mother suffered “moderate injuries“.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child male Listed by VDC killed
Child male Listed by VDC killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Nasri (تل نصري), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.64086, 40.36756. 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
    3 – 5
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria from February 17th – February 29th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 5
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]