WEEKLY REPORT 119-120
November 16-30, 2016
U. S. Dept. Cooperation Agreement Number: NEA-PSHSS-14-001
BY Michael D. Danti, Allison Cuneo, Susan Penacho, Marina Gabriel, Kyra Kaercher, Jamie O’Connell
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, intense aerial bombardment continued over opposition-held areas of Aleppo, as Russian and SARG forces continued their push to retake the entire city. As a result of the intense aerial bombardment, SARG and pro-regime forces extended their control to approximately one third of the eastern opposition-held territory of the city. Members of the UN Security Council, as well as the UN Human Rights Committee, have stated their concerns about the rapid escalation of violence and the implications for the civilian population. Aerial bombardment continued in other opposition-held areas of the country, leading to extensive destruction and high civilian casualties. In areas of northern Aleppo Governorate, Turkish and Western-backed Syrian and Kurdish opposition groups continued their efforts to isolate Raqqa and expand their offensives on key ISIL- held territory. Meanwhile, newly released reports from a local Tadmor organization have documented new evidence of ongoing looting at the ancient site of Palmyra.
In Iraq, US-led Coalition Press Operations and other sources announced that airstrikes had rendered inoperable four of the five bridges spanning the Tigris River. 2 3 In the Nineveh Plains, residents of villages displaced by ISIL have begun to return home and inspect the resultant damage caused by ISIL occupation, despite the threat of remaining ISIL-planted IEDs and booby traps. Iraqi forces uncovered two more mass Yezidi gravesites, bringing the total known number of such sites to 29. As the offensive to take Mosul progresses, more evidence of cultural cleansing by ISIL militants is being discovered in recently liberated villages, particularly in areas of dense ethnic and religious minority populations. During this reporting period, more photographs from the villages of Bakhdida (Qaraqosh) and Bashiqa show deliberate destruction and vandalism of Christian and Yezidi religious sites, as well as further evidence of damage to Mar Gewargis Church in Bartella and Mar Behnam Monastery outside Mosul has been published.
Key points from this report:
- Newly published video footage shows evidence of militarization and intentional destruction at Mar Gewargis Church in Bartella, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0035 UPDATE).
- New video footage and photographic evidence show tunneling at Mart Barbara Church in Karamlish, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0038 UPDATE).
- New video and photographs shows additional evidence of intentional destruction to religious sites in Bakhdida, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0043 UPDATE).
- New video footage and photographs show damage to sites in Bashiqa and Bahzani, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0046).
- New video footage and photographs have been published of Mar Behnam Monastery following the recapturing of the area by Iraqi forces in Mosul, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0047).
- An airstrike damaged a mosque in Tayyibat al-Imam, Hama Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0169).
- Alleged SARG airstrikes damaged two mosques near Damascus, Damascus Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0170).
- Alleged SARG and Russian airstrikes damaged four mosques in Aleppo, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0171).
- An alleged Russian airstrike severely damaged a mosque in Anadan, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0172).
- An alleged SARG airstrike damaged a mosque in Binnish, Idlib Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0173).
- New photographs show evidence of ongoing looting at Palmyra, Homs Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0174).