UN Report on Attack on the Aid Convoy in Urum al-Kubra

The UN has finally released its report by the UN Commision of Inquiry, showing the attack on the UN/SARC convoy in Urum al-Kubra, on 19…

The UN has finally released its report by the UN Commision of Inquiry, showing the attack on the UN/SARC convoy in Urum al-Kubra, on 19 September 2016, was a ‘meticulously planned and ruthlessly carried out’ — by (drums) Syrian Arab Air Force.

Relevant excerpts (some might have problems opening the link above):

\79. On 19 September, in Orum al-Kubra (western Aleppo governorate), a United Nations/SARC convoy was attacked by air, killing at least 14 civilian aid workers and injuring at least 15 others. The attack also destroyed 17 trucks and, with them, food, medicine, children’s clothes and other supplies destined for families in western Aleppo governorate controlled by armed groups, including Atarib and Ibbeen. The attack began shortly after the General Command of the Syrian Armed Forces issued a statement declaring an end to the ceasefire in place since 12 September. After the attack, the United Nations announced a suspension of all aid convoys in the Syrian Arab Republic. \5

\80. The 31-truck convoy had travelled from Government-controlled areas with the knowledge and permission of government authorities, and arrived in the early afternoon at the SARC warehouse in Orum al-Kubra, a town controlled by armed groups. The warehouse was located on the road between Atarib to Aleppo, approximately one kilometre from Orum al-Kubra. As there was not enough space for all trucks in the warehouse, some parked along the road. Several witnesses recalled that armed group fighters used the road for transportation, although none were aware this had been the case on the day of the attack. All witnesses denied that armed group vehicles had accompanied the convoy.

\81. Upon arrival at the warehouse, at approximately 1.30 p.m., 42 SARC staff and other workers began unloading goods from the trucks and sorting them for distribution. Survivors of the attack recalled seeing aircraft in the area, but continued working because they assumed that the aircraft were monitoring the ceasefire. The Russian Federation later released video footage showing a Russian drone monitoring the convoy.

\82. At sunset, at approximately 6.30 p.m., aid workers were warned via walkie-talkie (a means commonly used to transmit an alert of imminent attack) of the presence of aircraft in the area. The workers subsequently learned that helicopters were heading towards the warehouse. The aerial attack began shortly afterwards, at approximately 7.10 p.m.

\83. Accounts from survivors and others present in the vicinity consistently described the attack as comprising three stages. First, helicopters dropped barrel bombs, which struck the warehouse and a family home nearby. Immediately thereafter, people rushed to the scene to assist the wounded, but were forced to retreat and seek cover when the helicopters returned and dropped a second round of barrel bombs (see annex I, para. 49). Subsequently, planes, described by several witnesses as Sukhoi jets, carried out attacks, killing several aid workers. Lastly, the aircraft fired machine guns at survivors.

\84. Survivors described scenes of panic as workers were killed and maimed in the dark. The attack lasted at least 30 minutes. Those who could escape fled to nearby locations, although almost nobody was left unscathed. After the attack, rescuers rushed to the scene to find several bodies; some were charred beyond recognition, while others were missing limbs. The recovery of bodies continued throughout the following day.

\85. The claim made by victims that the attack was the result of an air strike is corroborated by a site assessment, including analysis of remnants of aerial bombs and rockets documented at the site, as well as satellite imagery showing impact consistent with the use of air-delivered munitions.6

\86. The munitions employed were particularly appropriate for attacking unarmoured vehicles and individuals. Photographs provided by witnesses indicate that several S-5CB unguided air-to-surface anti-personnel rockets produced in the Soviet Union, at least one RBK-500 series air-delivered cluster bomb carrying hundreds of sub-munitions, and at least two OFAB 250–270 unguided aerial bombs were used. The Syrian air force possesses all of these weapons in its arsenal. S-5CB rockets, loaded with flechettes, are intended for use against soft-skinned vehicles and personnel. Use of sub-munitions against a wide area target such as a convoy is also consistent with a planned attack targeting dispersed vehicles. Improvised air-delivered munitions and OFAB series munitions are suitable for targeting individuals, unarmoured vehicles and buildings. It appears that once aircraft had exhausted their weapon stores they continued to press the attack with guns, thus prolonging the attack and maximising civilian harm.

\87. Early warning reports, satellite imagery, witness testimony, forensic evidence gathered at the site and data provided by Member States are consistent with the use of airdelivered munitions and implicate Syrian forces in the attack. Syrian Su-24M strike aircraft and at least one and possibly two Syrian Mi-8 attack helicopters were operating in and around Orum al-Kubra at the time of the attack. No coalition aircraft employed weapons within 50 kilometres of the attack, and no Russian strike aircraft were nearby during the attack.

\88. The types of munitions used, the breadth of the area targeted and the duration of the attack strongly suggest that the attack was meticulously planned and ruthlessly carried out by the Syrian air force to purposefully hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid and target aid workers, constituting the war crimes of deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denial of humanitarian aid and targeting civilians (see annex I, paras. 34–35).

Now, only 2–3 days later, I filled a report based on interviews with two sources in Syria, stressing this attack was flown by the Syrian Arab Air Force, see: Syria’s Su-24-Bombers Have Become its Most-Proficient Hospital-Destroyers — at WarIsBoring.com blog.

In the course of preparing this report, I misunderstood one of my sources, who cited L-39s and Su-24s in the same sentence — and concluded this air strike was flown by Su-24s.

Actually, this air strike was flown by L-39s — and this by the unit described in another article I wrote for WarIsBoring: Al Assad’s Nighttime Killers.

With other words: the UN report is confirming reporting by my sources — and especially my latter article.