Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS3427

Incident date

May 5, 2017

Location

مخيم اليرموك, Al Yarmouk Refugee Camp, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.473938, 36.300631 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The bodies of 20 civilians, including women and children, were recovered in Yarmouk refugee camp south of Damascus who were allegedly killed in airstrikes on May 5th 2018. It is unclear who was responsible for the airstrikes. Smart News accused both the Syrian regime and Russian forces of the civilian harm.

Masri News reported that “the residents found 20 bodies of civilians who got killed in previous bombing by the Syrian regime in two separate graves in Yarmouk camp and Al Hajar Al Aswad. ”

According to Smart, “Local activists said on the pages of social networking sites that the forces of the regime and Russia targeted a building where about 25 civilians were hiding, including children, causing the death and wounding of a number of them, without specifying the numbers. Wounded bodies are still under the rubble.”

Smart also said that artillery was also used in bombing Al Yarmouk camp area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20 – 25
  • (1 man)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

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
    20 – 25
  • (1 man)
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3425

Incident date

May 4, 2018

Location

قرية النقير, Al Naqir, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.499547, 36.540818 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The village of Al Naqir in Idlib Governorate was hit by airstrikes on May 4th 2018, killing between four and six civilians, and wounding between two and 24 others, local media reported. The list of casualties included women and children. Sources said that Russian forces were likely responsible for the strikes.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that two children from the same family were killed. Multiple sources confirmed that most of those who were killed and injured were refugees from the countryside of Hama.

Local activists told Smart News Agency that warplanes had targeted the village mosque and houses with cluster rockets. Witnesses reported that eight houses were completely destroyed.

Smart News also reported that “Russian warplanes and the regime continue their raids on the villages, towns and towns of the province, resulting in dozens of casualties and major hospital outages, as well as the destruction of civilian property.” on May 5th, Smart news said that the death toll increased to six. They reported that White Helmets “pulled four survivors alive, including children and a woman out of the rubble, and most critical cases were transferred to nearby hospitals. The residents also pulled out other wounded people.”

The incident occured at approximately 10:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Adult male displaced from the village of Qabr Fida killed
Child from Al Naqir killed
Child male killed
Adult female displaced from the village of al-Jabain killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Destruction caused by aerial bombing of Al Naqir in southern Idlib.
  • "Our correspondent: Two martyrs and several wounded by Russian air strikes targeting the outskirts of the village of Al Naqir in the southern countryside of Idlib."
  • "Russian warplanes targeting the town of Naqir in the southern countryside of Idlib, with vacuum rockets."

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–24
  • 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
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3426

Incident date

May 4, 2018

Location

أرينبة, Arinba, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.7008012, 36.4545036 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians were killed and as many as five more – including three women – were wounded in alleged Russian airstrikes on the town of Arinba in Idlib Governorate on May 4th 2017, local media reported.

The Smart News Agency reported: “A civilian was killed and five others injured on Saturday night May 5, 2018, as a result of air raids on the village of Arinba, south of Idlib province, north of Syria for the second day in a row”.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “and a man and a son of the same family were killed”.

The identities of the victims are presently unknown.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Four martyrs and several wounded as Russian warplanes targeted, with missiles, Arinba town south of Idlib."
  • Translation: Russian aircraft launched an air strike targeting the village of Arinba in the southern countryside of Idlib, causing several civilian casualties.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3424

Incident date

May 4, 2018

Location

الباغوز, Al Baghouz, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.43221, 40.99226 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Airstrikes allegedly conducted by Russian forces reportedly killed three civilians in the village of Al Baghouz on the Syrian-Iraqi border in Deir Ezzor Governorate. The strikes took place on May 4th 2018.

Smart news was the only source to report these strikes, and cited in its summary that it received information from “a local source” – noting that “three civilians were killed on Friday morning raids by aircraft likely to be Russian on the village of Al Baghouz at the borders of Syrian-Iraqi near the city of Abu Kamal.”

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3423

Incident date

May 3, 2018

Location

سراقب, Saraqeb, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.859101, 36.797731 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was killed and two others were injured when the remnants of a cluster bomb earlier dropped on Saraqeb, Idlib exploded. Local sources alleged that the bomb was a remnant of an earlier airstrike allegedly conducted by Russian forces over the city.

Idlib Media Centre for example noted “A martyr and two wounded by a cluster bomb explosion from a former Russian bombardment in the town of Sarqeb east Idlib.”

The date that the munition was dropped is unknown.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3422

Incident date

May 2, 2018

Location

مشمشان, Mishmshan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.859696, 36.367021 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian airstrikes killed between five and eight civilians, including women and children, in the village of Mishmshan in rural Idlib Governorate on May 3rd 2018, according to sources on the ground. Up to a further ten civilians were reportedly injured.

Radio Kul and the Syrian Network for Human Rights instead accused the Syrian regime and not Russian forces of carrying out the airstrikes.

An Alwan News correspondent pointed out that the airstrikes “caused significant damage to the homes and property of civilians, noting that the civil defense teams worked to recover the bodies and the wounded and the removal of rubble.”

Noor news reported that Idlib Governorate had been hit by Russian airstrikes on a “continuous basis”, killing and wounding several civilians.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Child female killed
Child female daughter of Asia Mustafa Youssef killed
Child female daughter of Asia Mustafa Youssef killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (2 children2–4 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Between five and eight civilians were killed in airstrikes on Meshmshan on May 2nd 2018. (via @SyriaCivilDefe and Edlib Media Center)
  • Between five and eight civilians were killed in airstrikes on Meshmshan on May 2nd 2018. (via Zeitoun)
  • Between five and eight civilians were killed in airstrikes on Meshmshan on May 2nd 2018. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Between five and eight civilians were killed in airstrikes on Meshmshan on May 2nd 2018. (via @SyriaCivilDefe, Syrian Network for Human Rights and Edlib Media Center)
  • مقتل 5 مدنيين بمجزرة للاحتلال الروسي في قرية مشمشان بريف إدلب Translation: Five civilians killed in a massacre perpetrated by the Russian occupation in Mishmshan village in Idlib countryside.
  • Translation: Killed and injured in an aerial shelling that targeted Mishmshan west of Idlib.

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
    5 – 8
  • (2 children2–4 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–10
  • 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
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS3421

Incident date

May 2, 2018

Location

كفرزيتا, Kafr Zita, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.3747033, 36.5923691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One woman was reported killed and several other civilians injured, all believed to be medical staff, in alleged Russian airstrikes on Kafr Zita Specialized Hospital in Kafr Zita, Hama, Syria on May 2nd, 2018 according to local sources. Baladi News said the hospital was targeted with four raids.

SMART News reported that “Russian warplanes bombed Kafr Zita Specialized Hospital in the northern suburb of Hama, killing one of the staff of the hospital and injuring others, also from the medical staff, in addition to the destruction of the hospital.”

Baladi News identified the victim as Fatima Hamsho, aka (Um Ala’a). Their news read: “The mother of the rebels and the sister of the first martyr in Halfaya, Fatima Hamsho, Um Ala’a, joined the martyrs of the Syrian revolution on Wednesday with a treacherous raid at the Kafr Zita hospital in the northern suburb of Hama.” Baladi continues: “Um  Ala’a was the sole breadwinner of her large family and her sick child, who died after a period of displacement. She worked in an agricultural workshop to support her family in their exodus. Later, she volunteered to work in a specialized hospital in Kfar Zita, in support of her family. The Specialized Hospital in Kafr Zita, which was chosen by Um Ala’a to be close to the pain of others and provide the services available, was the last place of her struggle, after a raid that destroyed the hospital, killed her and and injured her child Alwan, named after his uncle, the first martyr of the city. She was one of the first women to be wanted to the regime’s Air Intelligence Security branch where she was called “Mother of the Terrorists”, but  she was nicknamed “Mother of the Rebels” by activists in the northern countryside in Hama.”

An image of the hospital in the aftermath of the attack shared by Hadi Abdulla showed a massive amount of destruction caused to the hospital building.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights additionally noted: “the bombardment that hit Kafr Zita hospital caused serious material damage to it and sabotaged its equipment, where the hospital now is out of service as a result of the large demolition in its building, also the bombardment caused the death of one of the female workers in the hospital and injured others, but it is not known so far whether the warplanes that targeted the hospital are Russian warplanes or if they belong to the regime.”

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Fatima Hamsho (Um Ala'a) in her fifties, was reported killed in a raid on KafrZaita hospital on May 2nd, 2018 (via Baladi News).
  • Kafrzaita specialized hospital destroyed after an alleged Russian airstrike on May 2nd. 2018 (via Hadi Abdullah).

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr165-C

Incident date

May 1–14, 2018

Location

شبوة, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.695997, 46.957239 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An investigator indicated to the UK legal charity Reprieve that two men were killed by a US strike in Shabwa during early May 2018. No other known sources reported the strike. Reprieve shared its information on this reported strike with Airwars.

According to the investigator, both men were mediating a tribal dispute in the area at the time, and were targeted by a strike as they went for lunch with one of the tribes, having reached a temporary settlement.

According to Reprieve’s field notes: “their vehicle was hit on their way to the lunch. We never received the names or details of those killed. The US does not appear to have specifically acknowledged this strike.”

No further details are presently known.

The incident occured around midday.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the governorate of Shabwa (شبوة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.695997, 46.957239. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the governorate of Shabwa (شبوة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]