Incident Code

RS702

Location

تدمر, Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.5655244, 38.2873535
Accuracy: City

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: R617)

Three civilians including one child and one woman died in airstrikes on Palmyra – though reports are conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Assad regime.

Shaam News reported that Moscow was responsible: “Russian enemy planes carried out more than 15 air raids on the city of Palmyra targeting civilian homes and causing deaths and injuries.” A series of tweets by independent sources also blamed Russia.

According to Syrian News Desk, “Russian jets launched more than 15 raids on the central and eastern neighborhoods of the city, killing four people, including a child and a woman, were killed and ten others were wounded, in addition to the widespread destruction in the houses.”

Smart News said Russian warplanes “launched 18 strikes with rockets on the city, aimed at the National Hospital, and the girls secondary school, public arena, and residential homes in the neighborhoods East and east, and the Red Valley, and the area around the officers housing, Palmyra castle, killing a woman and two children from the same family and wounding 11 others, who were taken to Raqqah to tend to their wounds.

However, other sources including RT, and the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed regime warplanes.The Syrian Observatory did not say who the “warplanes” responsible belonged to.

Two victims were named by the Violations Documentation Center, which said they were killed in Russian strikes.

Victims

Family members (2)

Ayat al-Ayad
Adult female killed
Son of Ayat al-Ayad
Child male killed

Invidivuals

Name unknown
Child

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
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
2–3
1 Child, 1 Woman
Civilians reported injured
11

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Palmyra (تدمر), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.5655244, 38.2873535. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Russian Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Russian Military
Russian Military position on incident
Not yet assessed
Russian Military Strike Report
Russia has published no known record of strikes in Syria for March 1st to March 30th
Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (3)