Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS896

Incident date

June 12, 2016

Location

مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان, Maarat al Numan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.647038, 36.679174 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A mother and four or more of her children were among those killed in an airstrike on Maarat al Numan, local media reported – the majority of sources blamed the Syrian regime for the attack, though some sources attributed the event to Russia.

The Shaam News Network blamed Moscow, reporting: “The city of Maarat al Numan was exposed to an aerial bombardment from warplanes firing several missiles at a residential area in Al Masri mosque street. Activists said the shelling caused the destruction of several houses over the heads of their inhabitants. Civil defense teams worked to lift the rubble. The  searches exposed a terrible massacre against a whole family in which a mother was killed with her four children – in addition to two other martyrs. The civil defence managed to pull out a woman and several children alive from under the rubble and moved them to field hospitals.”

Other sources reported that “the Egyptian mosque” in Maarat al numan was struck.

According to the Syrian Human Rights Committee, “Civil defense teams spent three hours removing a girl from the rubble”. Other sources published images showing civilians being rescued in the aftermath of the event.

However, LCCSY, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Baladi were among sources blaming regime warplanes.

According to SO4HR, seven died, including the woman and her five children.

Baladi put the number of children killed at five, with SN4HR said that six died.

@salqin tweeted that there had been “more than 50 martyrs and 100 wounded, most of them children and women, in bombings by the Russian Aviation in downtown Idlib city market and Maarat al Numan.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Maarat al Numan (مَعَرَّة النُّعْمَان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.647038, 36.679174. 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
    6 – 8
  • (4–6 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 (66) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The bodies of children from the same family, killed in an airstrike on Maarat al numan, Idlib, June 12th (via SN4HR)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    "recovering a baby wounded from under the rubble of government warplanes missiles fired on Ma'aret Al Numan city in Idlib governorate, causing a massacre, June 12" (via SN4HR Facebook) [Link now unavailable acessed via Airwars archive]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    "a father lost his wife and his 5 children in regime warplanes missiles fired on Ma'ret An-Nu'man city in Idlib governorate June 12" (via SN4HR Facebook) [Link unavailable accessed via Airwars archive]
  • Footage of destruction at Maarat al Numan (Youtube by SMN)
  • The massacre at Maarat al Numan (Youtube by almarra today)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

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
    6 – 8
  • (4–6 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 (66) [ collapse]