On December 7th 2015, government forces-likely warplanes targeted Al Ordi neighbourhood in Deir Ezzor city at 09:00 and resulted large scale destruction and death of six civilians including five members of one family.
Justice for Life organization met Mr. Abo Al Zen and Mr. Mahmoud, pseudonyms, who survived from the aerial bombardment and helped the populations in hospitalizing the injured and burying the dead.
Introduction
The government forces recaptured the neighbourhoods at the end of 2017 in Deir Ezzor city including the neighbourhoods of Ali Bek and Al Ordi. They also recaptured the cities of Al Mayadin and Al Boukmal along with the subordinated villages and sub-districts that are located in the south o Euphrates river following a campaign of extensive shelling that targeted different areas out of their control inside and outside the city. Whereas, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) controlled the villages and towns that are located in the north of the river.
Killing of Father, Mother and Three Children
The neighbourhoods that were out of government forces control in Deir Ezzor city have been a target of aerial bombardment campaign since June 2012 along with continuous artillery and missile shelling that never stopped until the government forces captured all neighbourhoods. The shelling resulted in destruction of entire neighbourhoods and displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The two witnesses talked about the aerial bombardment that targeted Al Ordi neighbourhood on December 7th 2012 where the family of Mr. Kheder Abdulhai Al Hafez ( Khadodur). The witnesses described in details as Abo Al Zen “We usually hear the sound of warplane and helicopter and we got used to bombing by regime forces warplanes. However, following the Russian intervention, the bombing became more extensive and the warplanes flying in the sky all the time. On that day, I was asleep with my children in Al Ordi neighbourhood. I did not hear any sound. I felt heaviness on my body. I woke up and saw part of the building that we reside is on me and my family. In the building there were four families. There was not any armed people inside this building.”
The child Karam Kheder Abdulhai, one of the shelling victims
Abu Al Zen continues saying that “I could pull my arm out of the rubble and started shouting for help. The neighbors could rescue all of us. I could see the building in front of my house, where Kheder Abdulhai family resides, has collapsed completely.
The child Ibrahim Kheder Abdulhai, one of the shelling victims
Mahmoud, who was displaced from Al Qusour neighborhood towards the neighborhoods out of government forces held areas, who work in a vegetable shop in Al Ordi neighborhood, narrates his testimony to Justice for Life organization “At 09:00, the warplane targeted the neighborhood where I work along with the seven surrounding neighborhoods by seven missiles that resulted in large scale destruction. I could see nothing but dust. Then, I saw the building where Kheder Abdulhai and his family used to reside burned to the ground. It was horrible”.
The child May Kheder Abdulhai, one of the shelling victims
The neighborhoods locals pulled out the family of Kheder as his wife and two of his children passed away immediately. Kheder and his son survived for a while. They were hospitalized to Pharmex hospital. The child Karam died. Kheder was hospitalized then to Al Mayadin where he died short time later. His 8-year-ol son was killed along with his 6-year-old daughter. We buried the wife and children in Abu Tammam park, whereas Kheder was buried in Al Mayadin”.
Mahmoud adds “Nearby the place where Kheder and his family were killed, there was an office of ISIS media staff, but they were not injured. The neighborhood locals asked them to leave the neighborhood fearing from being shelled, but they refused to do so”.
A footage of targeting Al Ordi neighborhood in Deir Ezzor city on December 7th, 2015.
Source: Social Media, and confirmed by witnesses interviewed by JFL.
Mahmoud says that there is no adequate medicine in Pharmex field hospital and there are no specialized physicians. There is only one ambulance for civilians and the other to hospitalize only ISIS members. Accordingly, sometimes we are forced to hospitalize the injured to Al Mayadin city.
All families in the neighborhood left, and some of them desired to leave towards Damascus, however, they were not allowed to.
