This Video Does Not Show Recent Russian Strikes on Aleppo
The Claim
Russian Air Force carpet bombing terrorists in Aleppo. The aftermath is very gruesome, so I won’t post it here, but know that many terrorists were eliminated there.
News posted on
Emerging story
A video went viral on X claiming to show the Russian air force carpet bombing Aleppo.
An X user shared the video, saying: “Russian Air Force carpet bombing terrorists in Aleppo. The aftermath is very gruesome, so I won’t post it here, but know that many terrorists were eliminated there.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading. The video predates the recent clashes in Syria.
A 2019 Video of Airstrikes in Al-Habit Town, Syria
Through a reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the video published online back in 2019.
A Facebook page published an extended version of the video on Aug. 12, 2019. The scenes of the viral video can be spotted at the second 48-second mark in the 2019 footage.
According to the caption provided by the Facebook page that published the video, the video shows the bombing of Al-Habit by Russian, Iranian and Syrian forces in night filming.
On August 11, 2019, a day before the viral video was published on the internet, the Syrian army and Russian forces seized control of the town of Al-Habit, after resuming clashes, following a truce that only lasted for three days.
According to local sources, like Fresh Syria, the control came after the scorched earth policy was adopted in the countryside of Idlib, which aligns with the caption provided for the viral video.
Al-Habit and Tal Sukayk faced fierce battles during the operation to take control. The Syrian army continued to advance supported by bombing cover and air strikes, marking the most violent campaign phase back then.
Al-Habit is considered the gateway to the southern Idlib countryside and the city of Khan Sheikhoun, which gives it special importance.
Russia Strikes Aleppo and Idlib
Following the sudden advance of opposition groups in Syria, the Syrian army and Russia attacked areas of northern Syria with airstrikes.
Civil defense forces in Idlib, known as the White Helmets, issued warnings to the residents against the escalation of the regime forces and Russia, stating that the weapons used include internationally banned cluster weapons, and unexploded ordnance can become time bombs that explode at any moment.
During his speech in the Security Council about the situation in Syria, Director of the White Helmets Raed Al-Saleh stated that the Russian airstrikes on Idlib on Dec. 2, put four hospitals in the city of Idlib out of service, violating international laws and norms; among the hospitals is a women’s maternity hospital.
More than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed so far, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Russia has a significant role in keeping President Bashar al-Assad in power, which started in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown.
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