WEEKLY REPORT 101-102
July 6–19, 2016
U. S. Dept. Cooperation Agreement Number: NEA-PSHSS-14-001
BY Michael D. Danti, Allison Cuneo, Susan Penacho, Bijan Rouhani, Amr Al-Azm, Marina Gabriel, Jamie O’Connell, Kyra Kaercherl
DOWNLOAD: REPORT
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
Executive Summary
During the reporting period, the escalation of hostilities in northern Syria resulted in significant damage to cultural sites. Despite the Syrian regime announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the three-day celebration of Eid al-Fitr, airstrikes continued over much of the country with emphasis on Aleppo Governorate and the Damascus suburbs. Armed opposition later detonated a tunnel bomb in the western Old City of Aleppo, sparking intense fighting in the city between SARG forces and opposition fighters, which resulted in, inter alia, the damaging of the National Museum of Aleppo. Furthermore, multiple religious sites in the city of Aleppo and surrounding towns of Kafr Hamra and Hreitan have been damaged in recent weeks, while cultural sites in Manbij continue to be damaged in the ongoing armed conflict.
In Iraq, we continue to investigate the extent of the damage in Fallujah following the expulsion of ISIL militants. A number of mosques were vandalized or destroyed during ISIL occupation, and more were damaged during the battle to recapture Fallujah. After the city was retaken, local citizens accused the Shia Popular Mobilization Units of vandalizing, looting, and burning private property as well as Sunni mosques. During the ISIL occupation, Fallujah was largely cut off from communication with the outside world, and so little information was available on the cultural heritage situation save for satellite imagery and sporadic in-country reports. Since the city’sliberation, a steady flow of information has been released with the first detailed photodocumentation of conditions in the city and detailed accounts of the ISIL occupation. ASOR CHI will continue to employ open source media and satellite imagery to assess the damage toFallujah’s religious sites with special emphasis on documenting whether damage occurred during the ISIL occupation, during the battle for Fallujah, or in the aftermath of the GOI victory.
In both Iraq and Syria intentional targeting of religious sites continues. ISIL militants carried out suicide bombings near the Mausoleum of Sayyid Muhammad bin Ali al-Hadi, the 9th century tomb of a revered Shia saint in the town of Balad, north of Baghdad. According to open-source reports, worshippers at or near the shrine were celebrating the end of Ramadan holiday Eid al-Fitr. Mar Sharbel Syrian Orthodox Church in al-Hasakah Governorate was firebombed and vandalized by unknown assailants.
Key points from this report:
- New photographs from Fallujah, al-Anbar Governorate reveal damage to three mosques (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0019 UPDATE).
- Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces are accused of damaging at least six mosques in Fallujah following the recapture of the city from ISIL militants (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0022).
- ISIL militants allegedly attacked the Mausoleum of Sayyid Muhammad bin Ali al-Hadi in Balad, Salah ad Din Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0023).
- Unknown attackers firebombed and vandalized Mar Sharbel Syrian Orthodox Church in al-Hasakah Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0010).
- New video footage shows damage to al-Bara bin Malek Mosque in Hreitan, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0071 UPDATE).
- New video footage shows damage to Abu Bakr al-Sideiq Mosque in Hreitan, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0082 UPDATE).
- New video footage has emerged of damage to Khaled bin al-Walid Mosque in Hreitan, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0092 UPDATE).
- New videos and photographs of damage to four mosques in Hreitan have been published on Youtube and Instagram (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0102).
- Alleged SARG airstrikes damaged al-Musafir Mosque in Ghernata, Homs Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0103).
- At least eight mosques in Manbij were damaged between January 2014 and July 2016, allegedly by ISIL militants, Syrian Democratic Forces, and US-led coalition airstrikes (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0104).
- The National Museum of Aleppo was severely damaged by shelling (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0105).
- Alleged SARG airstrikes damaged Omar bin al-Khattab Mosque in Deir ez Zor Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0106).
- The DGAM discovered several large looting tunnels at Tell Taban in al-Hasakah Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0107).
- Alleged Russian airstrikes damaged a cemetery and Abu Bakr al-Sidiq Mosque in Kafr Hamra, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0108).
- Alleged SARG and Russian shelling damaged four mosques in the city of Aleppo (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0109).