Maarat al-Numan market bombing
The Maarrat al-Numan market bombing or Maarrat al-Numan market massacre was a war crime through an aerial bombardment of a marketplace and the surrounding houses in the Syrian opposition-held town of Ma'arrat al-Numan in the Idlib Governorate of Syria. It was perpetrated on 22 July 2019,[2][3][4] from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. local time, during the Syrian Civil War. The bombing killed 43 civilians, including three girls, and injured another 109 people.[1] At least two four-storey residential buildings and 25 shops were destroyed. A nearby school, located some 700 meters from the market, was damaged.[1]
| Maarrat al-Numan market bombing Maarrat al-Numan market massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war | |
Location of Maarrat al-Numan in Syria | |
| Location | Maarrat al-Numan, Idlib Governorate, Syria |
| Coordinates | 35°38′N 36°40′E |
| Date | 22 July 2019 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.[1] (local time) |
| Target | public market, houses |
Attack type | Airstrike |
| Weapons | Aerial bombs |
| Deaths | 43 civilians |
| Injured | 109 |
| Perpetrators |  Russian Air Force |
| Motive | unknown |
Later analysis confirmed that the bombing was perpetrated by a fighter aircraft of the Russian Federation.[5][6] The attack caused even more fatalities when a "double tap" strategy was used, in which a second wave of bombing hit the same target when rescue workers were on the site minutes later, killing them.[7][8]
It was part of a wider Syrian military campaign against Idlib in 2019.
The United Nations Human Rights Council recorded the crime in its report published on 2 March 2020. It stated the following:
In parts of southern Idlib, including Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘man, pro-government forces persistently shelled civilian infrastructure in the de-escalation zone, leaving civilians with no choice but to flee. As such, there are reasonable grounds to believe that pro-government forces intended to terrorize civilians, in an effort to depopulate the zone and accelerate its capture.[9]
See also
References
- United Nations Human Rights Council 2020, p. 6.
- Chulov, Martin (23 July 2019). "Russia and Syria step up airstrikes against civilians in Idlib". Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "'Boundless criminality': Dozens killed in Idlib market bombing". Al Jazeera. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "Syria war: Air strikes on town in rebel-held Idlib 'kill 31'". BBC News. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- Nebehay, Stephanie (3 March 2020). "Russia May Have Committed War Crimes in Syria – U.N." The Moscow Times. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- Cumming-Bruce, Nick (2 March 2020). "U.N. Panel Says Russia Bombed Syrian Civilian Targets, a War Crime". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- Borger, Julian (2 March 2020). "Russia committed war crimes in Syria, finds UN report". Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "As children freeze to death in Syria, aid officials call for major cross-border delivery boost". UN News. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- United Nations Human Rights Council 2020, p. 7.
Reports
- United Nations Human Rights Council (2 March 2020). "Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic — Forty-third session". Retrieved 3 March 2020.