Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS762

Incident date

April 24, 2016

Location

الصاخور, Al Sakhour (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.2179122, 37.1892357 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 12 civilians including two children and two women died and 15 others were injured in airstrikes on Sakhour according to multiple sources – though they were unclear as to whether the raids were carried out by Russia or the Assad regime.

Shaam News Network reported that regime and Russian aircraft continued to strike eastern Aleppo:  “This morning Russian aircraft and the regime launched helicopter raids on neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo targeting the neighborhoods of al Mowasalat, al Sakhour, Bani Zaid and al Ashrafiya killing  a number of martyrs when they targeted a popular market in Alsakhour neighborhood”.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the regime, initially reporting that four non-combatants including a girl died. A second report said regime missiles fired on a supermarket “caused a massacre and damaged shops“. It went on to put the death toll at 12, though another report said 11:  “warplanes targeted Al Sakhour district, controlled by the opposition armed factions, causing .the deaths of 11 people, including a child and a woman.” In a tweet by Salam_Afraty2 it was also claimed that Russia was responsible for the shelling, leading to the death of 10 and leaving 30 wounded.

The Al Thiqa agency published a video which said that “warplanes” (it did not identify them) targeted the popular market in Sakhour, leading to “the deaths of six people and more than 10 injured most of them women and children“. The video shows the first moments of the bombing.

The White Helmets also posted a video showing bodies and casualties, referring only to “warplanes“. It put the death toll at eight with 15 more wounded. Images appeared to depict members of the rescue operation placing dismembered bodies in bags.

Similarly, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights did not identify the warplanes but put the death toll at eight including two children and two women.
 The Violations Documentation Center documented four victims (1, 2, 3), but only identified one by name.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 12
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–30
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • GRAPHIC: Members of the White Helmets salvage a body following a strike on Sakhour, April 24th (via White Helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    "10 martyrs and 30 wounded in Russian shelling on Al-Sakhour, Aleppo" (via Salam_Afirati2 tweet) The girl victim is identified as Sham Al-Jasim died with her mom due to Assad.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim of the strikes targeting in Sakhur (via HamzaAlshaheed tweet)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    "14 martyrs in Al-Sakhur by the regime warplanes the vegetables local market" (via Voiceofsunnies tweet)
  • Aftermath of the strikes targeting al-Sukha (via Voiceofsunnies tweet)
  • AMC video titled "+18 wounded in the regime massacre in Al-Sakhur, Aleppo"
  • Aleppo White Helmets video titled "Al-Sakhur massacre and first moments of civil defense arrival"
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians in the aftermath of the strikes targeting al-Sukhra (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians in the aftermath of the strikes targeting al-Sukhra (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilians in the aftermath of the strikes targeting al-Sukhra (via Aleppo white helmets)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Video of the strikes targeting al-Sukhra (via Al thiqa agency)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Kremlin has issued no public accounts of airstrikes in Syria from April 1st – 30th.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 12
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15–30
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]