Syrian Network for Human Rights

1106 Civilians Killed in October 2016

Including 791 at the Hands of the Syrian and Russian Regime

SNHR has published its periodic death toll report for the month of October 2016 in which it documented the killing of 1106 civilians at the hands of the main influential parties in Syria.

The report breaks down the death toll of October 2016 where government forces killed 497 civilians including 113 children (Four children are killed every day) and 92 women in addition to 24 civilians who died due to torture.

Out of the total number of civilian victim, 42% were children and women which is an explicit indicator on the deliberate targeting of civilians by the government forces. The report notes that forces we believe are Russian killed 294 civilians including 81 children and 48 women.

Additionally, the report documented the killing of four civilians including one child and one woman at the hands of the Self-management forces (Primarily consisting of the Democratic Union Party forces – branch for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party)

Furthermore, the report notes that ISIS killed 129 civilians including 32 children and seven women while Fateh Al Sham Front killed three civilians.

1521 Civilians Killed in August 2016

Including 1082 at the Hands of the Syrian and Russian Regime

SNHR has published its periodic death toll report for the month of August 2016 in which it documented the killing of1521 civilians at the hands of the main influential parties in Syria.

The report notes that SNHR team encounters difficulties in documenting victims from armed opposition factions as many of those victims are killed on battlefronts and not inside cities. Also, we aren’t able to obtain details such as names, pictures and other important details on account of the armed opposition forces’ unwillingness to reveal such information for security concerns among other reasons. Therefore, the actual number of victims is much greater than what is being recorded.

On the other side, the report affirms that it is almost impossible to access information about victims from government forces or from ISIS and the margin of error is considerably higher due to the lack of any applicable methodology in this type of documentation. The Syrian government and ISIS don’t publish, reveal, or record their victims. From our perspective, the statistics published by some groups on this category of victims are fictitious and are not based on any actual data. Therefore, the report only incudes civilian victims who were killed by all parties and compare them.

The report breaks down the death toll of August 2016 where government forces killed 898 civilians including 247 children (Eight children are killed every day) and 193 women. Out of the total number of civilian victim, 49% were children and women which is an explicit indicator on the deliberate targeting of civilians by the government forces. The report notes that alleged Russian forces killed 184 civilians including 49 children and 29 women.

Additionally, the report documented the killing of 30 civilians including three children and eight women at the hand of the Self-management forces (Primarily consisting of the Democratic Union Party forces – branch for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party)

The Killing of 1557 Civilians in July 2016

Including 1008 Civilians at the Hands of the Syrian and Russian regimes

SNHR has published its periodic death toll report for the month of July 2016 in which it documented the killing of 1557 civilians at the hands of the main influential parties in Syria. The report notes that SNHR team encounters difficulties in documenting victims from armed opposition factions as many of those victims are killed on battlefronts and not inside cities. Also, we aren’t able to obtain details such as names, pictures and other important details on account of the armed opposition forces’ unwillingness to reveal such information for security concerns among other reasons. Therefore, the actual number of victims is much greater than what is being recorded.

On the other side, the report affirms that it is almost impossible to access information about victims from government forces or from ISIS and the margin of error is considerably higher due to the lack of any applicable methodology in this type of documentation. The Syrian government and ISIS don’t publish, reveal, or record their victims. From our perspective, the statistics published by some groups on this category of victims are fictitious and are not based on any actual data. Therefore, the report only incudes civilian victims who were killed by all parties and compare them.

The report outlines the death toll of the month of July 2016 where it recorded the killing of 769 civilians at the hands of government forces including 253 children (nine children are averagely killed every day) and 197 women. 59% of all civilian victims were children and women which is an explicit indicator on the targeting of civilians by government forces. Additionally, the report notes that alleged Russian forces have killed 239 civilians including 105 children and 66 women during July. On the other hand, the report documents the killing of 40 civilians including 11 children and five women at the hands of Self-management forces (consisting primarily of the Democratic Union Party forces – a branch for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.)

The report notes that 156 civilians, including 33 children and 14 women, were killed by ISIS. Also, the report recorded the killing of 67 civilians, including 15 children and 13 women, by ISIS. In addition, 189 civilians including 78 children and 39 women were killed by international coalition forces during the month of July according to the report.

The Killing of 623 Civilians in March 2016
382 amongst which were killed by government forces

SNHR documented the killing of 382 civilians at the hands of government forces, including 48 women and 74 children (at a rate of killing 3 children daily). Additionally, not less than 42 individuals were killed under torture (with a rate of killing two individuals under torture every day).

The percentage of women and children who were killed in this month reached 32% among the total victims’ death toll; which is a strong indicator that government forces deliberately targeted civilians.

Different Syrian governorates, especially regions under the control of armed opposition, witnessed a significant decline in the shelling and killing percentages since March 2011. However, it is worth noting that regions under the government control or Kurdish Self Management Forces are not subjected to government shelling which is considered responsible for killing more than 60% of the victims in addition to destroying houses and displacing its residents.

We noticed that the residents sent their children back to schools again and great numbers of patients went to hospitals to get treated since the shelling decrease as hospitals and schools were continuously shelled. Additionally, infrastructure rehabilitation was conducted since the shelling has decreased.

However, the Syrian regime continued to breach the ceasefire in several ways as it is one of the most affected parties regarding this agreement and unpublicized violations have been continuous like torturing detainees.

The Syrian regime continued to commit massacres against civilians in regions that are under ISIL’s control. Government forces committed two massacres in Al Raqqa governorate on 18 and 19 March 2016 since ISIL-controlled regions are not included in the ceasefire agreement.

The Killing of 1378 Civilians in February 2016
382 amongst which were killed by Russian Forces

SNHR documented the killing of 651 individuals who were killed by government forces, including 110 women and 182 children (with a rate of killing 7 children every day). Additionally, not less than 31 individuals were killed under torture (with a rate of killing an individual under torture every day).

The percentage of women and children who were killed in this month reached 45% among the total victims’ death toll; which is a strong indicator that government forces deliberately targeted civilians.

The Killing of 1382 Civilians in January 2016
679 amongst which were killed by Russian Forces

SNHR documented the death of 516 civilians who were killed by government forces, including 69 women and 83 children (at a rate of killing 3 children daily). Moreover, not less than 53 individuals were killed under torture (at a rate of killing 2 individuals daily). The percentage of women and children who were killed in this month reached 30% among the total victims’ death toll; which is a strong indicator that government forces deliberately targeted civilians.

The Killing of 21179 individuals in 2015
1793 amongst which were killed in December

Government forces killed 941 civilians including 147 women and 219 children (at a rate of killing 7 children every day). Also, not less than 33 individuals died under torture (at a rate of killing 1 individual every day under torture). The percentage of women and children who were killed in this month reached 39% among the total victims’ death toll; which is a strong indicator that government forces deliberately targeted civilians.

The Death of 1481 Individuals in November 2015
266 Amongst which were killed by Russian Forces

What distinguishes this month in particular is the escalation of the Russian forces’ strikes on Syria as it has become one of the main conflict parties in the Syrian conflict. The percentage of killed women and children reached 32% of the total civilians’ death toll who were killed by the Syrian government and the Russian forces, which is strong indicator that those forces deliberately and indiscriminately target civilians.

The Death of 1771 Individuals in October 2015
Amongst Which 273 Individuals Were Killed by Russian Forces

What distinguishes this month in particular is the participation of the Russian forces in the Syrian conflict as it has become one of the main conflict parties. The percentage of killed women and children reached 39% of the total civilians’ death toll who were killed by the Syrian government and the Russian forces, which is strong indicator that those forces deliberately and indiscriminately target civilians.

The Death of 1497 Individuals in September 2015

During this month, the rate of targeted women and children by government forces has increased significantly. The percentage of targeting civilians has reached 49%, which is strong indicator that government forces deliberately and indiscriminately targets civilians.

The Death of 2040 Individuals in August 2015

During this month, the rate of targeted women and children by government forces has reached 40%, which is strong indicator that government forces deliberately and indiscriminately targets civilians. Further, the number of victims killed by ISIL reached 95 individuals, including 81 civilians; most of them were from Deir Al Zour.

Death of 1674 Individuals in July 2015

Government forces killed 966 civilians, including 209 women and 286 children (at a rate of killing 10 children daily). Not less than 56 individuals died under torture (at a rate of killing 2 individuals daily under torture.)

The percentage of women and children killed by government forces has reached 51% of the total percentage of targeting civilians, which is strong indicator that government forces deliberately and indiscriminately targets civilians.

2223 Victims Killed in May 2015

Government forces killed 1381 victims including 236 children (averagely eight children a day) and 186 women. Also, 82 victims were tortured to death (averagely three victims were tortured to death per day).

31% of the total number of civilian victims were children and women which indicates blatantly that government forces are deliberately targeting civilians,

The Death of 2231 Individuals in April 2015

Government forces killed 1519 civilians including 269 children (9 children killed each day), and 192 women, also no less than 104 victims of death under torture (4 victims died under torture each day).

The children and women victims 31% of the total civilian victims’ toll which is a clear indication of the deliberate targeting of civilians by the government forces.

31% of the total number of civilian victims were children and women which indicates blatantly that government forces are deliberately targeting civilians,

The Death of 1,697 individuals in March 2015

Government forces killed 1029 civilians including 147 children (5 children killed each day) the victims also includes 136 women as for death under torture victims they are 134 individuals including 3 women and a child (5 victims of death under torture each day).

Children and women death toll ratio reached 28% of civilian victims, and this is a clear indication of premeditated targeting of civilians by government forces.

1547 people were killed in February 2015

Government forces killed no less than 1044 civilians, including 139 children (five children a day), no less than 123 women, and no less than 74 victims who were tortured to death, including a child (three deaths under torture a day).

The percent of children and women victims reached 26%, which is a clear indication of the purposed targeting of civilians by governmental forces.

1354 people were killed in January 2015

SNHR documented the death of 883 people by government forces, including 207 children (seven children a day), no less than 54 women, and no less than 64 victims who were tortured to death (three deaths under torture a day).

The percent of children and women victims reached 30%, which is a clear indication of the purposed targeting of civilians by governmental forces.