Geolocation
Airwars assessment
In a major incident, multiple local sources reported that up to 58 civilians died and between 40 and 90 were injured in airstrikes on the MSF Al Quds hospital in Sukkari. Medical staff were among the casualties. Most reports alleged that Russia was responsible, though the White Helmets pointed towards the regime.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights initially blamed the regime and said that eight civilians died. However, a subsequent SN4HR brief said that “suspected” Russian warplanes were responsible, and put the death toll higher at 25, including eight children and one woman. A further report said that Russia launched two missiles on “on Al Qudus Field Hospital in Al Sukari neighborhood in Aleppo city, causing a massacre and damaging the hospital rendering it inoperable.”
Eyewitness Mujahed Abu Al Joud, a local media activist, told SN4HR: “I headed to the site of the bombing of a AlQuds hospital after approximately 10 minutes of bombardment. The front façade of the hospital is totally destroyed as well as the entrance of the ambulances. Up on this bombardment, I lost my friend doctor Abu Abdul Rahman. There was a targeting of the street located behind the building of the hospital after 5 minutes of being bombed. I saw two completely destroyed buildings, and 6 partially destroyed ones. The Civil Defense teams prevent us from straying in place due to the fear of the repetition of the bombardment because the warplanes had not left the place. The corpse was found under the rubble and the rescue teams tried to save what can be saved, I heard a girl yelling and crying as the corpse of her family are under the rubble.” In total, SN4HR documented 36 deaths including 14 children and eight women, two doctors, a nurse, and two of the medical cadres.
According to Shaam News Network, “At least ten civilians and members of the medical staff, including the only pediatrician in Aleppo were killed by Russian aerial bombing on al Quds hospital in the neighborhood of al Sukkari in Aleppo. Russian aircraft carried out several raids targeting areas in the neighborhood as well as AlQuds hospital where many of the wounded fell along with the martyrs.” A later report by SNN put the death toll still higher, at 30, adding that the whole hospital was destroyed.
The White Helmets said that three consecutive raids on the hospital had left “dozens of dead and injured including doctors and medical staff“, though they did not say who was to blame.
A later statement said that as many as 50 had died with more than 80 injured – most of them women and children. They published a distressing video showing a living baby being removed from the rubble after 24 hours of constant work. In a further report, the White Helmets suggested that strikes on this day were conducted by the regime, adding that the death toll had now spiraled to 53 with more than 90 wounded.
A report by ABC News included a video of a statement by The White House condemning the attack. It said: “At least three children and six medical staff were among the 27 killed after overnight airstrikes hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in the Syrian city of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The city’s last pediatrician was among the dead, the group said.” It continued: “The Syrian military said it did not target the hospital, but the building was destroyed by at least one strike, according to hospital staff on the ground with the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders”.
On April 28th, the Russian Ministry of Defence refuted claims that it had carried out the strikes: “Within last days, Russian Aerospace Forces have performed no flights near Aleppo.” The Violations Documentation Center named 19 victims, including three children, killed in “regime shelling”. Besides from the identified victims, the VDC also reported about another three unidentified adult male victims (here, here and here)
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (3)
Family members (2)
Family members (5)
Family members (12)
Family members (3)
Family members (3)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (31) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (34) [ collapse]
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The remains of the MSF hospital in Sukkari following a strike on April 27th (via White Helmets)
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Mohammad Waseem Mouaz, pediatrician and victim of the massacre in al Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via SN4HR)
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Ahmad Al Mohammad, dentist and victim of the massacre in al Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via SN4HR)
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Allegedly child victim of the massive aerial shelling at al-Quds -
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Allegedly child victim of the massive aerial shelling at al-Quds -
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Allegedly a child victim of the aerial strikes at al-Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo -
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Allegedly a victim of the aerial strikes at al-Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo -
Civilians in the aftermath of the aerial strikes at al-Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo
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Civilians mourning in the aftermath of the aerial strikes at al-Quds Hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo
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Baby Ahmad Al Rajab recovered from under the rubble after intense warplanes shelling on Al Sukkari neighborhood, Aleppo (via SN4HR) -
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Baby Ahmad Al Rajab recovered from under the rubble after intense warplanes shelling on Al Sukkari neighborhood, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets) -
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Baby Ahmad Al Rajab recovered from under the rubble after intense warplanes shelling on Al Sukkari neighborhood, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets) -
The civil defence working to rescue people from under the rubble after the aerial shelling of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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The civil defence working to rescue people from under the rubble after the aerial shelling of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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Aftermath of the aerial shelling of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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Aftermath of the aerial shelling of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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Remnants of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo after intense aerial shelling.
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The civil defence teams trying to rescue victims that are still under the rubble three days after the strikes in al Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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The civil defence teams trying to rescue victims that are still under the rubble after the strikes in al Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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Aftermath of the aerial shelling of Al Quds hospital in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via Aleppo White Helmets)
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Victims of the intense shelling of al Quds hospital in al-Sakkari Aleppo (via SNN) -
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Victim of the intense shelling of al Quds hospital in al-Sakkari Aleppo (via Majid Aboryan Twitter) -
Aftermath of the intense shelling of al Quds hospital in al-Sakkari Aleppo (via Zama al-Wasl)
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Aftermath of the intense shelling of al Quds hospital in al-Sakkari Aleppo (via Baladi News)
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Aftermath of the intense shelling of al Quds hospital in al-Sakkari Aleppo (via Baladi News)
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Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
The Kremlin makes no public mention of carrying out strikes in Syria from April 1st – 30th. However Russia later refuted claims they had carried out the strikes: “Russian Ministry of Defence refutes report of Western media about strike against a ‘hospital’ in Aleppo carried out by Russian Aerospace Forces. Within last days, Russian Aerospace Forces have performed no flights near Aleppo.According to our data, an aircraft of so-called anti-ISIS coalition member-state was performing tasks in the air space over Aleppo in the evening of April 27 for the first time after a long interval. Leading Western media had spread information with reference to representatives of ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ about alleged strike against a ‘hospital’ in Aleppo carried out by Russian Aerospace Forces, which had caused death of civilians.”