Russian Airstrikes In Syria Claim First Non-Civilian Casualty

It gave them an enemy combatant fatality ratio almost twice as good as that of Syrian loyalist forces and allied militias such as Hezbollah.

Beirut, November 12 – For the first time since Moscow openly acknowledged providing air support for Syrian President Basher al-Assad’s forces last month, Russian fighter-bombers have succeeded in killing their first non-non-combatant.

In an operation against opposition forces in and around the historic city of Aleppo, a sortie of Russian jets dropped bombs on rebel positions, resulting in the deaths of eight civilians and one opposition fighter. Rebel sources confirmed the death of the fighter Wednesday evening. Russian and Syrian commanders in Damascus hailed the achievement as a milestone in shoring up Assad’s hold on the fragmented country, and said they hope to build on the success with further such accomplishments in the coming weeks.

Syria’s four-year-old civil war has killed more than a quarter of a million people, most of them civilians, and displaced millions more. The Islamic State has swallowed up stretches of the country in the east and north, while other militias and guerrilla fighters battle for control of areas in the south and west. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly come to Assad’s aid, helping him rebuff outside efforts to broker a settlement that would require him to step down, while also providing military aid. Under the guise of battling the Islamic State, Russian strikes have actually targeted more moderate opposition groups, notably the ones supported by the West. Putin’s support has allowed Assad’s forces to continue their own indiscriminate use of force, in addition to helping distract Russia’s populace from economic troubles at home. Yesterday’s airstrike was the hundredth such mission over the Aleppo area flown by Russian military aircraft, which gave them an enemy combatant fatality ratio almost twice as good as that of Syrian loyalist forces and allied militias such as Hezbollah.

The dead fighter was identified as Aziz Waleed, 30, and the nearby civilian casualties were his family. Waleed was not on duty at the time, and not in uniform or carrying a weapon, as he had been sent home to recover from wounds sustained in battle. If operations proceed as planned, Russian jets intend to cause the death of an opposition fighter actively engaged in combat by the time winter sets in next month, possibly even separately from multiple civilian deaths.

A spokesman for the Russian military said his forces were also engaged in contacts with the Saudi Arabian military to try to coordinate the latter’s achievement of the same goal in their ongoing operations against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.