NCF Report on Casualties- week ending 20th of August

This casualty report is the latest in our series on Syria. As usual, today’s report is in two parts:

1)       NCF Casualty estimates and

2)       All other Casualty estimates. The second half of this latter report is so extensive that we have only included the summary here under the title “Casualties in more detail”. The full background by region of Syria can be accessed on the NCF website on the following links:

a)      Civilian Casualty Figures

(We have counted unidentified bodies as civilian casualties and we have included them on the day the bodies have been found).

b)      Rebel Casualty Figures

The totals include figures for rebel casualties from SANA. In some instances these claims identify specific actions and locations, but then are vague as to numbers. In such cases we have been cautious with the SANA figures; specifically, where SANA has indicated “scores” we have merely listed 20 dead, where SANA has claimed “dozens” we have listed 12 dead, when cars are indicated as having been taken out we have merely listed 1 person as the number killed per car, when many deaths are indicated we have counted this as 2 deaths, as we have no other reasonable way to deal with such arbitrary figures.

c)      Government Casualty Figures (very limited data available) The casualty figures for “government dead” that the NCF uses in this report are based on those from the Syrian Observatory which are the only figures for government dead available. We hope you will use your discernment.

Casualties – The NCF casualty estimates

There are no independent sources for casualty estimates (other than the occasional news report). The main value of these figures is as an indication of a trend. We give you our casualty estimates and then give you data from the sources upon which they are based so that you can arrive at your own conclusions. The full background data upon which those other casualty estimates are based can be found on the NCF website on the links listed above.

THOSE KILLED IN THE PAST WEEK: The NCF estimates based on all available sources are as follows. Note we are listing a very high figure for civilian dead. Note also that for the third week running, rebel dead are also higher than government dead.

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

(LCC figure minus the NCF rebel casualty figure)

Date	Civilian casualties
Mon 13	61
Tues 14	58
Wed 15	151
Thu 16	141
Fri 17	114
Sat 18	101
Sun 19	140
TOTAL	766

REBEL CASUALTIES

(The NCF has chosen the highest available figures for each day and area)

Date	Rebel casualties
Mon 13	52
Tues 14	38
Wed 15	48
Thu 16	97
Fri 17	60
Sat 18	52
Sun 19	26
TOTAL	373

GOVERNMENT CASUALTIES

(Though no regional breakdown is given, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is the only organisation that has consistent figures for government casualties.)

Date	Government casualties
Mon 13	48
Tues 14	34
Wed 15	32
Thu 16	49
Fri 17	29
Sat 18	43
Sun 19	34
TOTAL	269

Weekly Casualty estimates – an overview

The number of civilian casualties has again been high during the past week. The number of government combatants killed has reduced slightly. The number for rebel dead is also down though rebel dead again remain higher than government dead:

Civilian dead:

766 dead this past week ending 20 August

469 dead the week ending 13 August

491 dead the week ending 6 August

829 dead the week ending 30 July

848 dead the week ending 23 July

454 dead the week ending 16 July

462 dead the week ending 9 July

665 dead the week ending 2 July

373 dead the week ended 25 June 

350 dead the week ended 18 June 

105 dead the week ended 11 June 

Rebel dead:

373 dead this past week ending 20 August

598 dead the week ending 13 August

379 dead the week ending 6 August

199 dead the week ending 30 July

211 dead the week ending 23 July

170 dead the week ending 16 July

70 dead the week ending 9 July

107 dead the week ending 2 July

77 dead the week ended 25 June

41 dead the week ended 18 June 

40 dead the week ended 11 June 

Government dead:

269 dead this past week ending 20 August

309 dead the week ending 13 August

297 dead the week ending 6 August

228 dead the week ending 30 July

348 dead the week ending 23 July

237 dead the week ending 16 July

191 dead last week ending 9 July

256 dead the week ending 2 July

143 dead the week ended 25 June

53 dead the week ended 18 June 

92 dead the week ended 11 June 

Casualties in more detail

The numbers of reported casualties per source follows in a table in which the source is given and a day by day breakdown of totals. For more detail including a breakdown of these figures by region (which must be examined in order to understand the full basis on which NCF casualty estimates are calculated) go to the NCF website at the links listed above.

TOTAL CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

	SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	VIOLATIONS DOCUMENTING CENTRE	SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY	SYRIAN NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	LOCAL COORDINATION COMMITTEES	SYRIAN SHUHADA
Mon 13		59	NA	NA	113	135
Tues 14		64	NA	NA	96	135
Wed 15	127	71	NA	NA	199	200
Thu 16	106	83	NA	NA	238	270
Fri 17	106	87	NA	NA	174	181
Sat 18	110	112	NA	NA	153	141
Sun 19	71	124	NA	NA	166	154

TOTAL REBEL CASUALTIES

	SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	VIOLATIONS DOCUMENTING CENTRE	SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY	SYRIAN NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	LOCAL COORDINATION COMMITTEES	SYRIAN SHUHADA
Mon 13		11	46	NA	NA	9
Tues 14		15	20	NA	NA	25
Wed 15	15	10	35	NA	NA	21
Thu 16	17	21	86	NA	NA	11
Fri 17	9	8	54	NA	NA	10
Sat 18	30	27	26	NA	NA	21
Sun 19	18	20	NA	NA	NA	19

TOTAL GOVERNMENT CASUALTIES

	SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	VIOLATIONS DOCUMENTING CENTRE	SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY	SYRIAN NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS	LOCAL COORDINATION COMMITTEES	SYRIAN SHUHADA
Mon 13	48
Tues 14	34
Wed 15	32
Thu 16	49
Fri 17	29
Sat 18	43
Sun 19	34

Most organisations including the LCC do not distinguish between civilians and rebel soldiers (lumping both groups together as “martyrs”).