Documenting the Hamorya Massacre on March 25, 2017

On Saturday morning, March 25th, 2017, Syrian warplanes started an aerial raid on the middle of Hamorya, located in Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, that resulted in dozens being killed or wounded.

Through the opposition’s Military Observatories, which are deployed over telegram channels, activists watched the aircrafts’ movement from the Syrian and Russian-operated military airports within Syria. This allowed the activists to precisely determine the model of the aircraft and the targeted locations.  

The Syrians for Truth and Justice-STJ field activists in Eastern Ghouta monitored the effects of the destruction and counted more than twenty stores fully destroyed as well as eight residential buildings which were full of occupants. The damage in these buildings reached (70%). In addition, the Ar-Rawda Mosque was severely damaged in the attack.

Image of the damage done to the  Ar-Rawda Mosque in the wake of the attack
Photo credit: Activist from the city. Taken on March 25, 2017.

The Director of the Erbin Media Office, Abo Al-Yeser Braa, having examined the impact site, stated in his testimony that the targeted location was a popular market surrounded by many residential buildings. He stated that the pilot is able to target the missile very accurately. The warplanes launched four guided and highly explosive missiles. He further added that it was at 9:20 am when he missiles hit the region and caused significant destruction to the stores as well as killed many civilians, some of whom were sleeping at the time of the attack.

A map shows the targeted location following the attack on the middle of Hamorya city, located in the Eastern Ghouta, Dmascus countryside, March25, 2017. The red circle refers to site number (1), where the Kholani Square was hit with tow rockets, whereas the yellow circles refer to sites (2,3) where Ar-Rawda mosque and the building in the vicinity, were also hit with two  rockets. There were no military points near those targeted places as cited by eyewitnesses and STJ’s reporter after examining the sites.

Syrians for Truth and Justice could document the identities of some of the casualties:

1. Mohamed Issa, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
2. Rama Harastani, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
3. Khaled Al-Kawas, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
4. The child Abdurrahman Katama, a civilian from Hamorya city.
5. Ebtisam Wanosa, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
6. Ahmad Ta’ame Abo Sa’ed, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
7. Jamal Bakir Abo Khalid, an adult civilian from Al-Balalya town.
8. Yousra Ma’touq, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
9. Rawda Al-Hemsi, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
10. Ahmad Abdrrahim Al-Masri, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
11. Abdrrahman Soukar, an adult from Erbin.
12. The child Humam Al-Husein from Al-Golan, lives in Hamorya city.
13. Amina Qatan, an adult from Ar-Rihan town.
14. Fatema Qasar, an adult from Hamorya city.
15. Najia Jouma’a, an adult from Hamorya city.
16. Abdrrahim Abd Raboh, an adult civilian from Hamorya city.
17. The child Bent Amer Orabi from Hamorya city.

In video footage posted by the Syrian Civil Defense, images were shown of one person trapped under the rubble immediately following the attack. In other video footage, posted by the same source, the Civil Defense staff were shown attempting to remove the rubble of a demolished building.  

The Syrian Media Organization (MSO) posted video footage that showed ambulance operations for the wounded and injured directly following the attack as well as the extensive damage that effected the location, especially the local stores.

Syraj Mahmoud, the spokesman for the Civil Defense in the Damascus countryside, stated to Syrians for Truth and Justice, concerning the massacre:

“At about 9:30am, Saturday morning, March 25, 2017, and while I was on my way to work, a warplane fired four guided and high explosive missiles on a residential area in Hamorya city, one of these missiles was about to kill me. Moments later, I saw fires and bodies around me and the whole targeted place turned into wreckage and scattered bodies parts.”

Five of the Civil Defense staff were injured in the attack, one of whom is in critical condition, as they were at that location at time of the attack. Mahmoud was sure that the Civil Defense transported approximately 60 injured people to hospitals and medical centers. Their injuries varied from moderate to severe.

Mahmoud also explained how the Civil Defense staff worked until late at night to rescue the trapped people under the rubble and to minimize the damage that was caused by the bombardment.

The attack was the result of recent battles in the region. “Failaq Al-Rahman”, “Hai’at Fateh asch-Scham[1]” and several opposition factions declared on March 19th, 2017, a battle at the Damascus gates named “O servants of Allah, be steadfast,” where the afore mentioned factions advanced at the Jober fronts in the capital city of Damascus and gained control of many buildings following the clashes with the Syrian army. The following day, March 20th, the Syrian regime forces consolidated their attacks on opposition sites, forcing them to retreat to their current location, and then advanced March 21, 2017, gaining new areas like the Syronics checkpoint, the Krash plant, the textiles plants which overlook the Al-Abaseyeen garage, the industrial blocks, the recruitment branch, the Sadcob plant as well as many locations. The armed opposition aimed to link Al-Qaboun neighborhood with Jober neighborhood as the latter extend to the Eastern Ghouta, which is controlled by armed factions headed by “Jaish A-Islam,” but at the same time is under siege by the Syrian regular army. However, given the nature of the battle and the regular army’s superiority with Air Force support, the Syrian regular army could regain control of all the points that had lost in the battle earlier.