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, SARG and pro-regime forces recaptured and cleared the remaining opposition-held neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo. New video footage and photographs from recently recaptured areas show the scale of destruction to the Old City of Aleppo. Russian and SARG aerial bombardment continued over opposition-held areas in Rif Dimashq, Hama, and Aleppo Governorates, inflicting heavy damage on infrastructure and cultural heritage sites. A reported SARG airstrike damaged a water spring in Wadi Barada, blocking clear water supplies to Damascus and the surrounding areas. In Homs Governorate, ISIL militants continue to hold the ancient site of Palmyra, and damage to the area remains unknown. In Raqqa Governorate, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured several ISIL-held villages in their push toward toward the ISIL-held city of Raqqa.

Iraqi Security Forces continued to advance into ISIL-held neighborhoods in Mosul’s East Bank, while operations have yet to being in the city’s West Bank. As areas are recaptured in Mosul, ASOR CHi is learning more about ISIL intentional destruction to heritage sites, as well as how heritage site buildings were often repurposed by the group. ISIL seized larger heritage sites, such as churches, and repurposed those sites as courts and storage sites.

Key Points

• Newly released video shows the reuse of a church in Mosul, Ninawa Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report IHI 16-0033 Update).
• Reports state that aerial bombardment struck al-Rahman Mosque in Bassema, Rif Dimashq Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0185).
• ISIL militants recaptured Palmyra, Homs Governorate. New damage to the site remains unknown (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0186).
• Reported SARG airstrikes damaged Ain al Fijah Springs, Rif Dimashq Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0187).
• Reported SARG airstrikes damaged a mosque in Halfaya, Hama Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0188).
• Ongoing aerial bombardment and shelling damages six heritage sites in Rif Dimashq Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0189).
• Reported Russian airstrikes damage mosque in al-Jeenia, Aleppo Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0190).
• New photographs were released by various sources showing damage to multiple sites in the Old City of Aleppo (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0191).
• DGAM reports damage to sites in Tayyibat al-Imam and Muhradah, Hama Governorate (ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 16-0193).