| Atarib market bombing Atarib market massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Russian intervention in Syria | |
Location of Atarib in Syria | |
| Location | Atarib, Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Coordinates | 36°08′N 36°49′E / 36.133°N 36.817°E |
| Date | 13 November 2017 ~2:00 PM[1] (local time) |
| Target | Free Syrian police station |
Attack type | Airstrike |
| Weapons | Aerial bombs |
| Deaths | 84[2] |
| Injured | 150[2] |
| Perpetrators |  Russian Air Force[2] |
| Motive | unknown |
The Atarib market massacre, Atarib market bombings or 2017 Atarib airstrike were three[1] aerial bombardments on a marketplace in the Syrian rebel-held town of Atarib in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria perpetrated on 13 November 2017, during the Syrian Civil War. These airstrikes hit a commercial street with a market and a police station. The bombings killed 84 civilians, including six women and five children, and injured another 150 people.[2] Atarib was part of the "Safe Zone" established in September 2017.[1]
"Under the laws of war, police and police stations are presumptively civilian objects unless the police are taking a direct part in the hostilities", Human Rights Watch said.[1] Eyewitness reports claimed that the entire market, containing 100 shops, was destroyed in the explosions. They damaged or destroyed an area of approximately 5,000 sq metres. Weapons used were the unguided OFAB-500 fragmentation bomb, and the BETAB-500 unguided bunker buster bomb.[3]
On 6 March 2018, the United Nations Human Rights Council published a public report confirming that these airstrikes were perpetrated by the Russian military. A Russian fixed-wing aircraft using unguided weapons, including blast weapons, were used against this location. The report concluded that using such heavy weapons on densely populated civilian areas may amount to a war crime.[2][4]
- ^ a b c d "Syria: In Talks, Focus on Protecting Civilians: Syrians Under Siege, Airstrikes as Leaders Gather in Sochi". Human Rights Watch. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic" (PDF). United Nations Human Rights Council. 1 February 2018. p. 17. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ Kareem Shaheen (6 March 2018). "Russia suspected of using 'dumb' bombs to shift blame for Syria war crimes". Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ Nick Cumming-Bruce (6 March 2018). "U.N. Panel Links Russia to Potential War Crime in Syria". New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2018.