Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS860

Incident date

June 6, 2016

Location

الشحيل, Al Shuhail, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.0915407, 40.4523468 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and six civilians including at least two children and one woman died in a airstrike on Al Shuhail, according to local sources – though reports were conflicted as to whether Russia or the Syrian regime were responsible.

Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered Silently put the death toll at six. Some of their reports referred only to “warplanes”, however, two later reports identified them as Russian.

The Shaam News Network blamed Russia, putting the death toll at six and a number of wounded. They also said that dozens of sheep had been killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 37 civilians, including 11 children and seven women died when an aerial bombardment “targeted al-Ashara and al-Shehel in addition to other areas of Der-Ezzor western countryside”. It did not say who was responsible.

Other sources, including Halab Today and Euphrates Post, documented raids but didn’t identify the warplanes.

However, JFLDZ blamed the regime, putting the death toll at three including one woman.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mrs. Tamador Abd al Ghaffour al Hattab
Age unknown female killed
Khaldiya Ibrahim al Khudar
Age unknown female killed
Wassim al Hussein al Hafi
Age unknown killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Shuhail (الشحيل), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.0915407, 40.4523468. 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 – 6
  • (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 (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • "more than 25 martrys in Al-A’shara and dozens of wounded in Russian shelling and a massacre in Al-Shaheel" (Tweet by @SyrianRevolutin)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between June 1st – 31st 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 6
  • (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 (27) [ collapse]