Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

TI097

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

مخيم مخمور, Makhmur Camp, Erbil Governorate , Kurdistan, Iraq

Airwars assessment

On October 7th, 2023, a civilian was killed and at least three civilians—a woman and two boys— were injured after an alleged Turkish drone strike on the Makhmour Camp in the Erbil Governorate of the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

The woman, who remains unnamed, was reported to be 72-years-old (born in 1951), and appears to have received an injury to her arm or shoulder; images from sources corroborate this. One of the boys was reported to be 15 (born in 2008); images included show him with an oxygen mask and IV. The other boy, who appears to be younger, was pictured receiving medical care to his leg. Rudaw Media Network reported that one other civilian was killed, but this was not corroborated elsewhere, and no identifying details of this victim were made public. Those injured were housed in the second section of the camp.

The strike occurred at 7:05 pm, according to Rudaw, and hit the camp mosque during the evening prayer. Rashad Kalali, the deputy official of Kurdish political party Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, was reported by Rudaw as saying that there were rumors that PKK militants were inside the camp, which resulted in its targeting. These rumors, Kalali stressed, were not accurate.

The camp, which locals call the Martyr Rustam Cudi Camp, houses between 10,000 to 12,000 people, primarily Kurds displaced from neighboring Turkey.

The incident occured at 19:05:00 local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ronahi.tv

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: ANF

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ronahi.tv

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ronahi.tv

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS644

Incident date

Location

الخالدية, Khalidiya village, Ain Essa countryside, Raqqa Governorate, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Saturday, October 7th, 2023, an alleged Turkish artillery shelling in Khalidiya village, located in the Ain Essa countryside, Syria, reportedly killed an elderly woman and injured at least one other person, her husband.

Numerous sources, such as Facebook page Ehlê Qamişlo, have named the deceased woman as Amsha Muhammad Hilal Al-Baqer, aged 65, and her injured husband as Muhammad Al-Khalaf Al-Ali, aged 70. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), referring to Raqqa Governorate, along with North Syria network reported that two of their children were also injured while other sources only mentioned the husband’s injury. However, no further details were shared.

SOHR reported that the elderly woman and her husband’s house was shelled by Turkish forces who were bombing military sites belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces. However, according to Ehle Qamishlo, the attack was part of efforts by the Turkish military to strike “civilians who were denouncing the Turkish… attacks in front of a Russian forces base in the village of Al-Khalidiya”.

Devastating photographs of Amsha Hilal Al-Baqer deceased and Muhammad Al-Khalaf Al-Ali being treated in hospital were shared by multiple sources, such as Rojava Post.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to Turkish military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Amsha al-Bakari عمشة هلال الباقر
65 years old female Wife killed
Muhammad al-Ali محمد الخلف العلي
70 years old male Husband injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Rojava facebook

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Rojava facebook

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Rojava facebook

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4594

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

احسم, Ihsim, Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Shortly before 6:22 PM on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, two civilians – a woman and a child –  were killed, and five civilians, including at least two children and a woman, were injured in an alleged artillery attack conducted by the Russian military and/or the Syrian regime forces on the residential neighborhoods of the town of Ihsin in the southern countryside of Idlib, Syria. Crime Documentation Office claimed that Syrian regime forces were shelling the town from the surrounding checkpoints.

Multiple sources reported on the event. Twitter/X user @mzmgr941 reported at 6:22 PM that the intense bombardement of Ihsin was still ongoing and resuted in one death and several injuries among civilians. He shared an image of the clouds of smoke arising over the town.

As reported by Rami Al-Saeed, a child named Rawa Naser Al Zain (apparently a girl judging from her name) and a woman named Haifa Radwan Kanj Al-Youssef were killed. Bader Al Din Mohammed Qassam, Rawa Ayoush Al Zain, Bayan Mohammed Ja’yas, Jihan Naser Al Zain, and the sister of Jihan were reportedly among the injured.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported at 6:38 PM that three children and two women, one of whom was the sister of one of the children, were injured as a result of regime forces artillery shelling. Later, at 7:44 PM SCD updated the information, noting that  “two of the casualties died, bringing the toll of this bombing on the town to the death of a child and a woman and the injury of three civilians, including two children”. Many Twitter/X users reposted this information.

However, Rami Al-Saeed reported a total of four injured; ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ ᎷᏫᎻᎯᎷᎬᎠ ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ and Al-Muharrer Media Network – the latter basing itself on Syrian Civil Defense – alleged that the injured amount to five: three children and two women. ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ ᎷᏫᎻᎯᎷᎬᎠ ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ shared an image of an injured small boy being treated in a hospital.

A picture shared by @SyriaCivilDefe showed a little girl with her face and legs covered in blood while two men put her in a bed inside an ambulance. The volunteers of Syrian Civil Defence brought some of the injured of the alleged attack to the hospital to get treatment. Crime Documentation Office shared a picture of an injured elderly man without specifying any further details.

Sources were conflicting on whether the Russian military or the Syrian regime forces were responsible for the attack. However, the majority of the sources reported the Syrian regime forces as the one behind the alleged attack.

The incident occured at approximately 6:22 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Jihan Naser Al Zain جيهان نصير الزين
Child injured
sister of Jihan أخت جيهان
female injured
Rawa Naser Al Zain روعة ناصر الزين
Child female killed

The victims were named as:

Haifa Radwan Kanj Al-Youssef هيفاء رضوان كنج
Adult female killed
Bader Al Din Mohammed Qassam بدر الدين محمد قسام
Age unknown injured
Rawa Ayoush Al Zain روعة عيوش الزين
Age unknown female injured
Bayan Mohammed Ja’yas بيان محمد جعياص
Age unknown injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @mzmgr941

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Rami Al-Saeed

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Crime Documentation Office
  • Source: Crime Documentation Office

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ ᎷᏫᎻᎯᎷᎬᎠ ᎷᎥᏞᎻᎥᎷ
  • Source: Muhammad Al-Hamoud
  • Source: Ahsam News posT
  • Source: Martyrs of Ehsim district posT

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Omar Al-Talawi

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS646

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

الرويمية, village Al-Ruwaymiya, Latakia, Latakia Governorate, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Saturday,  October 7th, 2023, a Syrian man named Afif Mali (Mualla) Ibrahim, and his wife Fayrouz Ali Hassan were killed during the shelling of the village Al-Ruwaymiya in the countryside of Latakia allegedly by the military group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, while their two sons and another girl were wounded. According to the local radio station, Sham FM, the couple died “as a result of an injury they sustained when a rocket shell fell on their house.”  The exact age of Afif Mali Ibrahim is unknown, but by the image shared by Syria Costal News Facebook account he appears as a man in his twenties.

There were different estimates of the number of the injured civilians. A report by Bahlouliya News mentioned that only the two sons of Afif Mali Ibrahim were wounded, while the Latakia Governorate wrote about one injured civilian. Salqin news and Facebook user Tartus reported about the four injured. The victims were treated in the hospitals in the city of Latakia.

The government news agency SANA claimed that the village was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. A house in the village Al-Ruwaymiya was reportedly destroyed.

Local websites in Latakia accused the armed opposition group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham which is affiliated with the Turkish military of this attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Afif Ma’la Ibrahim عفيف معلا ابراهيم
Adult male killed
Fayrouz Ali Hassan فيروز علي حسن
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Source: Hussein Mohammed Deeb facebook
  • Source: Hussein Mohammed Deeb facebook
  • Source: Syria Costal news facebook
  • Source: Dihke facebook

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4590

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

طراف مدينة إدلب, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the evening of Saturday, October 7th, 2023, at least one civilian man was wounded on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, in the bombardment allegedly perpetrated by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces.  However, some sources reported that a number of civilians were injured.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, reported on the man’s injury in its Twitter/X post around 6:57 PM, noting that the incident happened “on the fourth day of an intense escalation campaign by regime forces and Russia in bombing civilians.” SCD also shared an image of a car with broken glass windows that was apparently damaged in the strike.

Reports differed on who was responsible for carrying out Saturday strike and on the type of strike. Al-Arabiya correspondent quoted by Arabic Syria Post and Al Hadath Syria news reported that Russian warplanes struck the city outskirts of Idlib with missiles. However, in another post by Arabic Syria it was reported that civilians were wounded by artillery shelling by the Syrian army. Therefore, Airwars has graded both strike status and civilian harm status as contested.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @feraskaram01

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4591

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

جسر الشغورجسر الشغور, Jisr Al Shughour city, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Two civilians, including a 44-year-old woman and a man, were injured and a number of civilians were reportedly killed shortly before 8:56 AM on the morning of Saturday, October 7th, 2023, due to the bombardement reportedly perpetrated by Syrian regime forces and/or Russian military on the residential neighborhoods of the Jisr Al Shughour city, west of Idlib. The woman was injured by multiple shrapnel wounds derived from the attack. In the case of the injured man, there was no further description. Another strike happening at noon on the day before, October 6th, damaged three mosques, but there were no civilian casualties reported as of now.

A Facebook user Abdulrazaq Alsbeeh claimed that a number of civilians were killed as a result of the Russian airstrikes on the outskirts of Jisr Al Shughour, but this information was not corroborated by other sources.

The reported shelling damaged a lot of civilian infrastructure, including at least two mosques located on March 8 Street, Rabaa school in the city center, and a market. In particular, it damaged the internal structure of the Al-Tamra mosque, the walls and surroundings of the Al-Kareem mosque located on March 8 Street, and the wall of the Rabaa School.

Journalist Mohammed Belaas (@blaas083) shared a video report on Twitter/X saying that three mosques were damaged during the strike by Syrian regime forces and Russian military that happened during Friday prayer jumaa (apparently around noon on October 6, 2023). A local resident said that these mosques were called Al-Tamra, Al-Iman and Al-Kareem. He also added that the strike was carried out during the jumaa prayer time, but there were reportedly no civilian casualties. The journalist also carried a remnant of the weapons used in his hand.

The Syrian Civil Defence patrolled the areas where material damage was inflicted, and shared multiple images and a video on its social media accounts. Jisr Al-Shughur Media Center also shared the images of the damaged walls and roof of one of the mosques.

While most of the sources attributed the strike to the Syrian regime forces, two sources claimed that Russian military was responsible for the incident. Therefore, Airwars has graded both strike status and civilian harm status as contested.

The incident occured at approximately 8:56 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Marketplace, Religious Institution, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (13) [ collapse]

  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: Duraid Haj Hammoud posT
  • Source: Duraid Haj Hammoud posT
  • Source: News now?

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Marketplace, Religious Institution, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4593

Incident date

October 7, 2023

Location

أريحا, Ariha, Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On Saturday, October 7th 2023, one civilian was killed and ten civilians, including two children (one boy) with serious injuries, were wounded by an alleged artillery attack by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime and/or Iranian forces. Reportedly, Mustafa Wadah Ghandoura was killed; Anwar Eido Al Deek, Abdulqader, Samer Ahmed and Mohammed Imad Qar’iya were among the injured. The alleged artillery attack damaged civilian homes in the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, including two fires in civilian homes.

Multiple sources reported on the event. Notably, Syrian Civil Defense reported civilian harm tolls throughout the day and ultimately concluded: “A civilian was killed and 10 civilians were injured, including two children, as a result of artillery shelling by regime forces targeting the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, which was targeted by regime forces several times during the day.” Other sources only reported on civilian casualties without providing a toll.

In an image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe, a mother is seen with her injured son: “In the presence of her injured son and her dearest son, “Muhammad,” she gently leans toward him, kisses his foot, and begs him to recover. Her face frowns with worry and fear, and she hopes that the danger will go away from him, with her eyes full of prayers and hope.”

In another video posted by @SyriaCivilDefe, a father is saying goodbye to his son who was killed as his body is being placed in a black bag while others try to comfort him in his sorrow.

Mahmoud Al-Othman, a volunteer in the Syrian Civil Defense spoke about trying to comfort civilians during the bombardment of Ariha: “Talin, a two-year-old girl, was crying unnaturally with her siblings, heartbroken. We tried to reduce the fear when we evacuated them from the place, but the amount of terror they experienced during the moments of bombing and hearing the sound of the shells was enough to erase the safety and smiles from their faces and replace fear and terror in their hearts.”

Many of the sources documented the fires that resulted from the shelling of Ariha, with at least one source describing “Houses are burning and civilians are trapped.”

Sources were conflicted as to whether the Syrian regime or Russian forces or Iranian forces were responsible, with the majority of sources blaming the Syrian regime. A post from Tariq Al-Dimashqi accused Russian forces of using “napalm and phosphorus bombs” against Ariha while other sources mentioned rocket launchers and missiles.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mustafa Wadah Ghandoura مصطفى وضاح غندورة
Adult male killed
Anwar Eido Al Deek أنور عيدو الديك
Age unknown injured
Abdulqader عبدالقادر
Age unknown injured
Samer Ahmed سامر أحمد
Age unknown injured
Mohammed Imad Qar’iya محمد عماد قرأئية
Age unknown injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (26) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @idleb_online
  • Source: @Ivarmm tweeet
  • Source: @Ivarmm tweeet
  • Source: @mzmgr941
  • Source: Editor moment by moment
  • Source: News of the village of Nahlia and its environs
  • Source: Idlib News Network/Idlib
  • Source: Ariha, the bride of the north

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Syrian Regime, Russian Military

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4579

Incident date

October 6, 2023

Location

جفتلك حج حمود, village Jaftlik Haj Hammoud in the Jisr al-Shughur countryside, west of Idlib, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

On the morning of Friday, 6th October 2023, three children belonging to one family  were injured by the bombardement allegedly carried out by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces in the village Jaftlik Haj Hammoud in the Jisr al-Shughur countryside, west of Idlib. A two-year old child named Amer Mustafa al-Abdo later died from the serious injuries. The two surviving children were reportedly brothers.

Jist media center posted a Facebook video showing the strike and clouds of smoke arising from it. The Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) attributed the responsibiliy for the incident to the Russian military and reported that their team took the injured children to the hospital for treatment. Two of then who did survive were still receiving treatment. SCD also reported that there were no other injured people.

The @SyrianCivilDefe on Twitter/X social media platform added the images of the destroyed building and a striking image of an elderly man, a grandfather of the children, astonished and sitting on the ruins of his house, picking up among the rubble with deep pain and sadness from the death and injury of his grandchildren. Al Jazeera correspondent Hadi Kharrat also shared a touching image of a tiny ginger kitten who survived the bombardment. But, as Hadi wrote, both the kitten’s mother and his friend Amer were killed.

While most of the sources attributed the strike to Russian military, a correspondent from the Al-Arabiya Syria said on Facebook that both the Russian forces and the Syrian army renewed their bombing in the city of Idlib, adding that the casualties from the attack in the village of Jaftlik were a result of the Syrian army artillery shelling. Therefore, the Airwars graded both Strike Status and Civilian Harm Status as Contested.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Amer Mustafa Al Abdo عامر مصطفى العبدو
2 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (27) [ collapse]

  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: @SyriaCivilDefe
  • Source: Hadi Kharrat
  • Source: Sarmeen
  • Source: Sarmeen
  • Source: Sarmeen
  • Source: Sarmeen
  • Source: Syrian Civil Defense
  • Source: Syrian Civil Defense
  • Source: Syrian Civil Defense
  • Source: SANA_Agency
  • Source: Syrian Civil Defense
  • Source: Anas Al-Abd
  • Source: Arabic Syria
  • Source: Baraa Darwish
  • Source: Baraa Darwish
  • Source: Baraa Darwish
  • Source: Al Hadath Syria
  • Source: Arabic Syria
  • Source: @HalabTodayTV

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Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (29) [ collapse]