Horrendous Massacre by the Regime in Urem Al-Kubra

Preface Syria's army and allies stepped up bombardment on Urem Al-Kubra town[1], Aleppo western countryside, on August 10, 2018, as a suspected Russian warplane carried out three consecutive air raids, dropping two high explosive missiles in each, on a densely residential neighborhood, houses large numbers of IDPs, which resulted in at least 37 deaths, including 19 documented children, and more than 70 injuries, all of whom are civilians, since the area is free of any military presence, according to several testimonies obtained by STJ.

These unprecedented violent attacks razed about 15 houses to the ground, and led to the fled of more than 1000 people from Urem Al-Kubra, according to STJ field researcher who also stated after examining the strike location, that each of the three fired missiles dig a large crater in the ground of 10 meters in diameter and 4 meters deep. As a result, the local council declare Urem Al-Kubra a disaster town.

Mohammed Shokerdali, a media activist from Aleppo countryside, reported that Urem Al-Kubra attacks came only two days after Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham/HTS and other rebel factions’ mortar shells on Regime-held Aleppo districts, al-Zahraa and al-Neel Street, which in turn was a response to Syrian army’s bombardment of Kafr Hamrah village, Aleppo countryside, days before.

Syrian regular forces launched heavy retaliatory attacks against Idlib western and eastern countryside including Binnish and Taftanaz towns, in a response to previous ones carried out by the Syrian opposition factions.[2]

Details of the Incident

A survived gave STJ detailed account of what happened, saying;

“At 6:30 p.m. on August 10, 2018, a suspected Russian warplane carried out 3 successive raids, just few minutes apart, on Urem Al-Kubra causing huge explosions and massive plumes of smoke. I was hit by shrapnel in the head and taken to the medical point. While my friend, a media man, was unfortunately, dead while headed to the strike location on his motorbike. The attacks resulted in a large number of injuries, the majority of which women and children, thus, doctors at the medical point had to perform surgeries even in emergency rooms so that they could help as many wounded as possible, while dozens of those with serious injuries, were transferred to the nearby Turkish hospitals."

Aftermath of the August 10, 2018 bombardments on Urem Al-Kubra.
 Taken on August 11, 2018.

Photo credit: STJ

Analysis of visual evidence 

The Head of Aleppo’s Civil Defense Center, testified to STJ that a Russian suspected warplane targeted residential neighborhoods in the town with three airstrikes, killing and injuring many civilians, and he goes on to say;

"When the Civil Defense teams arrived, the bodies were scattered on the ground. Initially 17 deaths had been documented, the majority of which were children and women, as the bombardment targeted densely populated neighborhoods besides a small popular market in the area. Civil Defense teams worked for more than 12 hours consecutively. The death toll rose to 37, mostly women and children, while 70 injuries have been documented, mostly were serious. The most notably difficulties that impeded our work, removing the collapsed buildings, as it required heavy equipment and a  painstaking work, in order to rescue the trapped and pull them from under the rubble."

Civil Defense teams attempting to pick up victims from under the rubble following the attacks of August 10, 2018, on Urem Al-Kubra. Photo credit: STJ

A video footage published by the Civil Defense in Aleppo province on August 11, 2018, showed attempts to rescue a child from under the rubble following Urem Al-Kubra attacks of August 10, 2018. 

A still taken from the aforementioned footage showing a child trapped under the rubble following targeting Urem Al-Kubra town on August 10, 2018.

Hamza al-Yousef, a staff member of Alatareb Media Center, reported to STJ that a warplane targeted a residential area, no more than 250 meter in diameter, densely populated with locals and IDPs. He added,

"Urem Al-Kubra was hit by three successive raids on residential neighborhoods, two missiles in each, which caused tremendous destruction. The jet dropped its entire load in Urem Al-Kubra and left, as informed by the observatories, killing 37 civilians, locals and IDPs, including an entire family of seven members (al-Aboud Family) from Kafr Zita, Hama. More than 27 houses were razed to the ground and about 10 houses were 60% damaged. An estimated of 1000 people evacuated the area as a result of the bombardment."

Devastation caused to the houses near to where one of the missiles landed during August 10, 2018 attacks on Urem Al-Kubra.  Taken on August 11, 2018.  Photo credit: STJ

Rescue teams in Urem Al-Kubra searching the rubble for missing victims following August 10, 2018 raids.  Photo credit: STJ

Mahmoud al-Ibrahim, head of Urem Al-Kubra’s local council said that on August 10, 2018, Russian jets carried out three successive raids against the town, dropping highly explosive missiles, destructing entire neighborhoods, the majority of its residents are IDPs. These attacks, in turn, caused significant population displacement, as an estimated of 100 families fled Urem Al-Kubra, which has not seen such an attack since a long time. He said:

"We sent an emergency relief request to the humanitarian organizations, through which we announced Urem Al-Kubra a disaster area, asking for aid and alternative shelters to locals whose houses were destroyed due to the attacks."

The emergency relief request issued by the local council of Urem Al-Kubra on August 13, 2018 following the attacks of August 10, 2018. Photo credit: the local council of Urem Al-Kubra. 

Abu Omar, a supervisor of the observatories in Urem Al-Kubra, testified to STJ that at 6:30 p.m. on August 10, 2018, a white warplane was seen hovering in the town skies; it turned out to be a Sukhoi 24. He narrated:

“A warning of an approaching Russian jet, took off from Hememim Airbase in Latakia province, was circulated among observatories at, who in turn sent alarms to people, seconds before it conducted its three raid, five minutes apart, firing high explosive missiles on a residential area destroying several houses besides killing and injuring dozens. Thick black smoke rose from the targeted area which was free of any military presence."

STJ field researcher managed to document the 37 civilian victims:

1. Nayef Ibrahim Darwish (a child).
2. Ghadir Ibrahim Darwish (a girl child).
3. Khadija Ibrahim Darwish (a girl child).
4. Ghada Ibrahim Darwish (a girl child).
5. Mayes Mohammed Redwan (a girl child).
6. Fatima Mohammed Redwan (a girl child).
7. Bayan Ahmad Hamada (a girl child).
8. Khadija Ahmad Hamada (a girl child).
9. Fatima Ibrahim Darwish (a girl child).
10. Omar al-Sheikh (a child).
11. Aya Mohammed al-Sheikh (a girl child).
12. Abdulkarim Mohammed Mostafa (a child).
13. An unidentified child from Homs.
14. An unidentified girl child from Homs.
15. Malak Ahmad al-Aboud (a girl child).
16. Hala Ahmad al-Aboud (a girl child).
17. Halaa Ahmad al-Aboud (a girl child).
18. Mohammed Ahmad al-Aboud (a child).
19. Mostafa Ahmad al-Aboud (a child).
20. Ina’am Hasan al-Aboud.
21. Fatima, Sabri Darwish's wife.
22. Sukaina al-Masri.
23. Mariam Haj Abdulkarim.
24. Batoul Slamah.
25. Amina Announ.
26. Asma Agha.
27. Abdulqader Ali.
28. Abdulsatar Hamada.
29. Ahmad Mohammed Ghazi Darwish.
30. Ali Abdulwahab.
31. Hussein Announ.
32. Hussein Abed.
33. Ahmad Azizi (a media man).
34. Nader al-Halaby.
35. Ahmad al-Aboud
36. Hussein al-Mohammed
37. Abdulqader Darwish.