Equipo Nizkor - S/2016/804 - Information provided by Russia regarding violations of the cessation of hostilities by illegal armed groups in Syria between 12 and 21 September 2016.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2016/804

Distr.: General
23 September 2016
Original: English

Letter dated 21 September 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to forward to you information regarding violations of the cessation of hostilities by illegal armed groups in Syria between 12 and 21 September 2016 (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would circulate the present letter and its annex as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Vitaly Churkin

Annex to the letter dated 21 September 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

[Original: Russian]

Summary of violations by illegal armed groups of the cessation of hostilities in Syria

In the period from 12 to 21 September 2016, a total of 347 violations of the cessation of hostilities by fighters from illegal armed groups were recorded.

24-hour period from 19 to 20 September

In Aleppo governorate, terrorists using improvised multiple -launch rocket systems, mortars and small arms fired on the settlement of Hadir and farms in the settlement of Shaykh Ali Qutbani, the neighbourhoods of Ramusah, Zahra', 1070, Ansari, Khalidiyah and Layramun, and the Castello trade centre and road adjacent to it, the cement and gas plants and the artillery school in the city of Aleppo.

In Damascus governorate, the settlements of Hatitat al-Jarash, Harasta, Hawsh Kharabu, Duma, Marj Sultan, a secondary school in the settlement of Jawbar, the Bala al-Qadimah farms and government troop positions near the settlements of Arbil and Qabun were fired upon with improvised multiple-launch rocket systems, mortars and small arms.

Armed units of terrorist groups using improvised multiple-launch rocket systems fired on the settlements of Ma'an, Mubattan and Muraywid in Hama governorate and also on the Tabl fortress and the area at elevation point 409.5 in Ladhiqiyah governorate.

In Qunaytirah governorate, the government troop positions in the area at elevation point 1226 were shelled by tanks and the settlement of Baas was shelled by artillery and mortars.

24-hour period from 18 to 19 September

In Aleppo governorate, illegal armed groups using small arms, improvised multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars fired on the settlement of Shaykh Ali Qutbani and the Aleppo citadel, the neighbourhoods of Ramusah and Zahra', and the cement plant and the Castello trade centre and road in the city of Aleppo.

In Damascus governorate, terrorists fired on the settlements of Harasta, Qabun and Hawsh Kharabu, the neighbourhoods of Hamadani and Abbasiyin, and on government troop positions near the Hamadani neighbourhood in the city of Damascus.

Using improvised multiple -launch rocket systems and mortars, the fighters fired on the settlements of Ma'an in Hama governorate and Atbaa in Dar'a governorate, on the positions of Syrian Armed Forces near Mahruq hill in Hama governorate and on the settlement of Uthman in Dar'a governorate.

The populated areas of Karad Dayasinah, Homs, Kafr al-Abd, Mashrafah and Ard al-Jabburin in Homs governorate, and Rasha, Kinnsibba, Nakhshabba and the Tabl fortress in Ladhiqiyah governorate, were shelled with mortars.

On 17 September at 1700 hours, two F-16 aircraft, two A-10 aircraft and an armed unmanned aerial vehicle of the United States Air Force carried out strikes on government troop positions in the area 6 km south of the Dayr al-Zawr airfield. At 1750 hours, at the request of the Russian Federation, the strikes were halted. At the same time, fighters of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched an offensive in that area. In fierce fighting, with the support of the Russian Air Force, the terrorist group's progress was halted. As a result of the United States air strike on Syrian government troop positions, 62 people died, 98 were wounded and 11 pieces of military equipment were destroyed.

Also on 17 September in the neighbourhood of Shaykh Hadir in Aleppo city, gunmen brutally suppressed the spontaneous protests of around 300 civilians, requiring them to flee the city to avoid an intensification of hostilities. According to local residents, the militia shot 26 people, among them 9 teenagers.

24-hour period from 17 to 18 September

In Aleppo governorate, armed units of terrorist groups using home -made multiple launch-rocket systems, mortars and anti-tank missiles systems attacked the farms in Shaykh Ali Qutbani, the Aleppo citadel, the neighbourhoods of Ramusah and Dahiyat-al-Assad, the Castello trade centre, the artillery school, the emergency school and the tannery, as well as the positions of government troops near the neighbourhoods of Ramusah and 1070 in Aleppo city.

In Damascus governorate, mortar rockets attacked the settlements of Jawbar, Harasta, Arbil, Duma and Marj Sultan, the farms in Khan al-Shih, the Abbasiyin neighbourhood and the Ibn al-Walid Hospital in the city of Damascus.

In Hama governorate, terrorists using improvised multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars fired on the settlements of Ma'an and Mu'ardis and on the positions of Syrian Armed Forces near the mountain ranges of Jabal Zayn al-Abidin and Tall Bazzam.

In Dar'a governorate, areas of Dar'a and Uthman settlements were shelled by artillery.

In Ladhiqiyah governorate, terrorists fired mortars at Ayn al-Qantarah, Shir Adaba and the Tabl fortress and at government troop positions near point 1154.

In Homs governorate, the settlements of Ard al-Jabburin and Tasnin were shelled.

24-hour period from 16 to 17 September

In Aleppo governorate, illegal armed groups using improvised multiple -launch rocket systems, mortars and anti-tank missiles fired on farms in the settlement of Shaykh Ali Qutbani and on the neighbourhoods of Zahra', Ramusah, 1070, Dar Minyan, Muhamin, Dahiyat al-Assad, Halab Jadidah, Mashariqah and Layramun, and the Castello trade centre, the emergency school and the gas and cement plants in the city of Aleppo.

In Damascus governorate, the settlements of Jawbar, Harasta, Hawsh Nasri, Hatitat al-Jarash and Hawsh Harabu, the Ibn al-Walid Hospital and farms in the settlement of Khan al-Shih were shelled with mortars.

In Hama governorate, the settlements of Ma'an, Mahruq, Shajar, Iskandariyah, Hajar and Muhradah, and the airfield in the city of Hama, were shelled with improvised multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars.

Terrorists also fired on the fortress of Shilf and the settlement of Nahshabba in Ladhiqiyah governorate, the neighbourhood of Manshiyah in the city of Dar'a, and the settlement of Jubbata al -Khashab in Qunaytirah governorate.

In Homs governorate, terrorists using multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars fired on the settlement of Tayyibah al-Gharbiyah and the neighbourhood of Bayadah in the city of Homs.

The leadership of the Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in the Syrian Arab Republic wrote to the head of the inter-agency delegation of the United States of America in Geneva, Ambassador Wood, to inform him that the moderate opposition had violated the cessation-of-hostilities agreement. That communication also reported that militia fighters were gathering, and possibly attempting to launch an offensive, in the northern part of Hama governorate. The Russian Federation requested American colleagues to urge opposition leaders not to act rashly, and informed them that the commanders of Syrian government forces would take the necessary measures to respond proportionately in the event of a militia attack.

24-hour period from 15 to 16 September

In Aleppo governorate, terrorists using mortars, multiple -launch rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and small arms fired on the settlements of Burayj al-Rih and Hadir, on the neighbourhoods of Khalidiyah, Zahra', Ramusah, Dahiyat al-Assad, Mashariqah and 1070, and on the cement plant, the gas plant, the artillery school, the checkpoint on the Castello road, the Aleppo citadel and the Castello trade centre in the city of Aleppo.

The settlements of Ma'an, Zawr Abu Zayd, Muhradah and Iskandariyah in Hama governorate were shelled with multiple-launch rocket systems, mortars and armoured vehicles.

Terrorists using mortars and small arms fired on the settlements of Harasta, Hawsh al-Khayyat and Hawsh al-Farah in Damascus governorate and on Ibn al-Walid Hospital in the city of Damascus; on Kinnsibba, Ayn al-Qantarah and Rasha, the Abu Ali mountain range and Shilft fortress in Ladhiqiyah governorate; and the neighbourhood of Abbasiyin in Homs governorate.

The illegal armed groups did not begin withdrawing their vehicles and weapons from the Castello road at the same time as government forces, thus failing to meet their obligations under the Russian-American agreements.

Opposition forces are taking advantage of the ceasefire to rebuild their military capability and to regroup in the governorates of Aleppo, Hama and Homs. This accounts for the increasing number of attacks on their part.

24-hour period from 14 to 15 September

In Aleppo governorate, terrorists using mortars, multiple -launch rocket systems and anti-tank missiles fired on the settlements of Nayrab, Azizi and Binyamin and on the neighbourhoods of Zahra', 1070, Dar al-Mu'allimin, Ansari, Ramusah and Layramun, the cement and gas plants, the Castello trade centre, the Assad Military Academy and the artillery school in the city of Aleppo.

In Hama governorate, the settlements of Ma'an, Muhradah, Kawkab, Mu'ardis and Kumkhanah and the railway station in the settlement of Harbinafsih were shelled with multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars.

The settlements of Qurmus, Tayyibah al-Gharbiyah, Tasnin, Tayr Ma'lah, Kafr Nan, Ard al-Jabburin, Abbasi and Rastan in Homs governorate, the settlements of Harasta, Qasimiyah and Jawbar in Damascus governorate and Ibn al-Walid Hospital in the city of Damascus were shelled with mortars. In Ladhiqiyah governorate, the positions of Syrian Armed Forces were fired upon near point 1154.

24-hour period from 13 to 14 September

In Aleppo governorate, terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missile systems at the settlements of Shih, Burayj al-Rih, Hadir and Shurfah and at the positions of Syrian Armed Forces near Zahrat Abu Zallam.

In the city of Aleppo, the Ramusah neighbourhood and government troop positions near the Castello trade centre were shelled twice, and mortars were fired at the Ansari neighbourhood three times. The positions of Syrian Armed Forces were also fired upon near the cement factory and the artillery school.

The most devastating impact was caused by the shelling of the Ansari neighbourhood, during which 3 civilians were killed and 7 people injured.

In Hama governorate, militia fired rocket systems and mortars at the settlements of Muhradah, Ma'an, Habit, Kawkab, Achan and Mu'ardis, and twice attacked a Government troop checkpoint near Ard Kawkab.

Illegal armed groups fired mortars at the settlement of Tayr Ma'lah and at the positions of government forces near Tasnin and Wa'r in Homs governorate.

Other settlements subjected to shelling were Baharia, Hawsh Nasri, Harasta and the Khan al-Shih farms in Damascus governorate; Shir-Adaba, Rasha and the area near point 409.5 in Ladhiqiyah governorate; and Khirbat al-Ghazalah and Uthman in Dar'a governorate.

24-hour period from 12 to 13 September

Two violations by armed opposition groups were detected in Ladhiqiyah governorate, where the positions of Syrian Armed Forces near the Abu Ali and Qizil Dagh mountain ranges were fired upon.

The positions of government troops and citizens in Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Idlib and Dar'a governorates were fired upon 21 times by the Nusrah Front and ISIL terrorist organizations. Improvised rocket launchers were used to shell the area near the residence of the Governor of Aleppo.

24-hour period from 11 to 12 September

The cessation of hostilities was maintained in most governorates of the Syrian Arab Republic over the 24 -hour period. On 11 September, there were 11 violations detected in Damascus and Ladhiqiyah governorates.

Units affiliated with the opposition group Army of Islam fired mortars at the settlements of Duma, Muhammadiyah, Tall al-Kurdi, Nashabiyah, Jawbar, Hawsh Dawrah and Arbil in Damascus governorate.

In Ladhiqiyah governorate, members of Ahrar al-Sham shelled the settlements of Hamrat, Rasha, Abu Ali and the positions of Syrian Armed Forces near point 529.

In the city of Aleppo, terrorists using multiple-launch rocket systems, anti-tank missile systems and mortars shelled the neighbourhoods of Ramusah, Ansari and 1070, the artillery school and the Castello trade centre.

Mortars and grenade launchers were fired at the town of Khirbat al-Ghazalah in Dar'a governorate; at Muhradah and Kawkab in Hama governorate; at Duma, Hawsh Nasri, Qabun and the school medical service of Harasta in Damascus governorate; and at Ibn al-Walid Hospital in the city of Damascus.

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23Sep16

Information provided by Russia regarding violations of the cessation of hostilities by illegal armed groups in Syria between 12 and 21 September 2016