Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3452

Incident date

June 24, 2018

Location

علما, Elma, Dara'a, Syria

Airwars assessment

One civilian was reported killed and others injured in alleged Russian forces or Syrian regime airstrikes on Elma in Dar’a, Syria on June 24th, 2018 according to local sources.

Dara’a Now, which is a pro regime page, reported “More fire lava on the terrorists’ heads in the town of Al-Harak and what remains of the town of Basra Al-Hariri and the town of al Soura and the town of Elma and the area of Aljaj in the eastern countryside of Daraa .”, but Step Agency blamed Russian forces. “One person was killed by Russian air raids on the town of Elma in the east of Daraa”, and the Syrian Network for Human Rights said that “Khaled Mansour al Dagher was killed as Syrian/ Russian regime warplanes fired missiles on Elma town in Dara’a governorate northeastern suburbs, on June 24th, 2018.”

Also the Syrian Committee for Human Rights said “Khaled Mansour Al-Dagher died, and others were injured, after an aerial bombardment by Russian warplanes targeted the town of Elma in the countryside of Daraa Governorate on Sunday June 24th, 2018.”

Ziad Al Hourani who said the victim was his cousin posted an image of Khaled on Facebook saying “The young martyr, my cousin Khaled Mansour Al-Dagher martyred during the bombing of the town by the Russian and Assad aviation. May God have mercy on you, my dear cousin , and accept you from the martyrs, Amin.”

Violations Documentation Center blamed Russia for killing the civilian.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Free Syrian Army

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Explosions after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Al Harak or Al Soura on June 24th, 2018 (via Dara'a Now).
  • Explosions after alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the city of Al Harak or Al Soura on June 24th, 2018 (via Dara'a Now).
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Khaled Mansour Al-Dagher was reported killed in Russian or Syrian regime attack on Alma in Dara'a on June 24th, 2018 (via Ziad Alhourani).

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Free Syrian Army

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISSY001b

Incident date

June 24, 2017

Location

البعث, Al Ba’th, Quneitra, Syria

Geolocation

33.170175, 35.870705 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two people were killed in alleged Israeli strikes on Al Ba’th city on June 24, 2017. Sources were conflicted as to whether the people killed were civilians or members of the Syrian army.

Khabar Agency reported that Israel struck Syrian army facilities after 10 shells were fired from the Syrian side of the border toward the Golan Heights. Khabar also wrote that the Israeli military said that they had struck a tank that was preparing to fire a shell. However, according to a Syrian army source, an Israeli missile fell on a residential building, resulting in a number of civilian deaths and damage to the building.

Syrian Arab News Agency, the Syrian regime controlled news agency, accused the Israelis of supporting al-Nusra with their strikes and of firing rockets at “the Governorate parking lot and a residential building, claiming a number of lives and causing material damage”.

RT News reported that “the Israeli army instructed farmers and civilians near the Quneitra border crossing into Syria to avoid open fields”, according to Jerusalem Post, and that the Israeli retaliatory strikes came less than an hour after the spillover fire from Syria.

France 24 quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as reporting that the Israeli raid resulted in the death of two Syrian soldiers. However, Haaretz News quoted the Al-Mayadeen Network as identifying at least two Syrian civilians as being killed in the attacks.

Financial Express described the fighting on the Syrian side of the border as being between rebel groups, including Islamist factions, and the Syrian regime, and the Israeli military referred to the shells the landed in Israel as “errant fire” that wasn’t intentionally launched at Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces posted a statement on twitter that “in response to over 10 projectiles launched from Syria, IAF aircraft targeted origin of launches & 2 Syrian tanks”, acknowledging the strikes. They also published a video showing that they described as being “a site containing automatic weapons and two tanks being targeted and destroyed”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    Israeli Military
  • Known target
    Free Syrian Army
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the surroundings of Al Ba’th (البعث) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Al Ba’th are: 33.170175, 35.870705.

Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Israeli Military

In response to over 10 projectiles launched from Syria, IAF aircraft targeted origin of launches & 2 Syrian tanks

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • #BREAKING: Israeli IDF publishes video of the strike against Syrian army in response to 10 morters landing in northen Israel

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    Israeli Military
  • Known target
    Free Syrian Army
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (15) [ collapse]