SCTJ Statement on Ar-Raqqa Massacre, September 06, 2014

On Saturday September 06, 2014, Ar-Raqqa city witnessed a horrible massacre in which tens of civilians were killed by the Syrian regime warplanes. The Syrian regime targeted Al-Andalus bakery in Tal Abyad Street where civilians were standing in line to buy for bread. On the same day Ar-Raqqa, which is under the control of ISIS (The Islamic State in Iraq and Sham), was targeted with more than eight airstrikes. Most of these airstrikes killed civilians, not ISIS militants.

At least 49 were killed by the airstrikes that targeted Ar-Raqqa on September 06, 2014 including women and children, the following were documented:

1- Mohammad Taha Al-Hussein Ad-Dakhil, 20 years old.

2- Ahmad Haj Khalaf.

3- Hammadi Hussein Al-Hammadi Al-Ahwal, 22 years old.

4- Zina Hussein Al-Hammadi Al-Ahwal, 18 years old.

5- Adla At-Tahhan.

6- Aisha “Awwasha” Hassan Ash-Shu’ib, 60 years old.

7- Houriya Al-Ahmad Al-Haram.

8- Zina Al-Ahmad, 18 years old.

9- Hussein Al-Amin.

10- Abd As-Suliman As-Saleh.

11- Awwad Al-Khairi.

12- Qusai Al-Mohammad.

13- Abdulkarim Hallaq.

14- Hussein Al-Halalq.

15- Nazih Al-Ashram.

16- Aboud Al-Hawwash.

17- Mohammad Al-Jomaa.

18- Jamal Al-Ibrahim.

19- Saleh Al-Mhimed.

20- Mohammad Hammash.

21- Ammar Al-Ghniem (Al-Assaf).

22- Seham Jasim Al-Ilies.

23- Khalil Khalaf Al-Habib.

24- Mahmoud Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 27 years old.

25- Ali Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 24 years old.

26- Child Ahmad Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 11 years old.

27- Child Ibrahim Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, seven years old.

28- Mousa Al-Hamad Al-Karsa.

29- Ahmad Al-Imier.

30- Dham Ibrahim Al-Mousa.

31- Saleh Al-Haj Hassan.

32- Victim called Anwar, his full name not been received.

33- Khalil Khalalf Al-Habib Al-Jarrad.

34- Hassan Al-Ghadier.

35- Fayyad Sweidan Al-Halloun.

36- Unidentified woman victim, Fayyad Sweidan Al-Halloun’s wife.

37- Qusai Al-Ahmad Al-Imier.

38- Unidentified victim, Nazih Al-Ashram’s son.

39-46- Eight unidentified victims, from the same family “Khaled Al-Haj Omar”.

47- Unidentified woman victim.

48-49- Two unidentified victims.

This massacre is another crime of a long string of continuous violations that the Syrian regime has been perpetrating for weeks against civilians in areas controlled by ISIS. Furthermore, the Syrian regime strikes such areas to justify ISIS presence but never targets them directly, but in fact ISIS was the least militant group to be targeted by the Syrian Regime, and that’s can be an evidence that both ISIS and Assad are cooperating to terrorize civilians.

SCTJ urges the international community to take all the necessary measures in order to put an end to the Syrian regime’s policies which resulted in crimes against humanity and war crimes which violate the international humanitarian law. Moreover, the Islamic State, which also has been perpetrating horrific crimes in Ar-Raqqa since its rise, should be held accountable. Also, investigations should be opened regarding all the violations, and the individuals responsible for these massacres, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Syria and no criminal shall be granted any form of impunity.

Damages and Ruins caused by the airstrike