Most areas of Deir Ezzor province have been subjected to a heavy bombardment campaign during the second half of the year 2017, this campaign led to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.
The bombardment didn’t exclude the IDPs camps or the water crossing points which are used by civilians to flee into the secure areas, the Justice For Life organization has published a detailed report on the bombardment of Deir Ezzor province under the title of ” It‘s like resurrection”.
On the dates of 24,25,26 November 2017 fighter jets and helicopters most likely belong to the Regime forces and the Russian allied troops targeted two IDPs camps and a water crossing point in the countryside of Al Bukamal east of Deir Ezzor.
The witnesses interviewed by the Justice For Life have confirmed that not less than 69 civilians were killed due to those airstrikes and after that the IDPs were forced to move into other safe areas.
A map shows the geographic location of Al Bukamal city
The bombardment of an IDPs camp in the desert of Al Bukamal:
Al Ghabrah and Al Sayyal town in the countryside of Al Bukamal were subjected to an intensive aerial bombardment forced the civilians of both towns to flee, tens of IDPs pitched tents in the adjacent desert as it is a secure area, the witness Ali( nickname) said to the JFl organization: ” on 24 November 2017 fighter jets most likely belong to the regime forces and the allied Russian forces targeted the camps at 5:00 pm, Ali confirmed that 17 civilians including 3 women and 6 children of two whole families from the IDPs of the Al Ghabrah and Al Sayyal were killed”.
The targeted IDPs camp in the desert of Al Ghabrah town
The bombardment of IDPs gathering in Al Shaafah town:
Al Shaafah town is located northern of the Euphrates river in the countryside of Al Bukamal 20 km away from the city center of Al Bukamal and 15 km away from Hajin township.
Al Shaafah town was targeted by aerial bombardment on 26 November 2017, according to the witness Imad (nickname) who was interviewed by the JFL organization: ” fighter jets targeted a gathering of IDPs from Al Bukamal city at 1:30 am, and that led to the death of 41 civilians of four families including 9 women and 13 children, the injured people were taken to the medical points in Hajin town which belong to Al Bukamal whereas few civilians who were seriously wounded died because of the distance between the targeted area and the medical points”.
The targeted residential area in Al Shaafah town
Imad confirmed that the removal of rubble took about 30 hours and the medics choose to use the agricultural roads to rescue of injuries in fear of being targeted by the fighter jets.
The bombardment of a water crossing point in Al Ramadi:
On 28 October 2017 the fighter jets targeted the water crossing point of Al Ramadi town in the countryside of Al Bukamal, and that led to the death of 11 civilians including 3 women and 3 children, Thaaer (nickname) said in his testimony to the JFL: ” the bombardment was about 5:00 pm and targeted the boats which are used to transport civilians between the riverbanks and that increased the number of victims”.
the water crossing point of Al Ramadi
Thaaer continued his testimony :” the injuries weren’t taken to any medical point because of the heavy bombardment and weren’t treated in the in the position of bombardment, no one could approach the position for fear of the renewed shelling, the bodies were buried in the same position of bombardment after five hours”.
After that bombardment the IDPs fled to Al Sousa, Al Kshkia and Hajin towns which are considered safer.
