THE SCENES OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN A MAKE-SHIFT HOSPITAL IN HOMS. (Khalidiyeh): Mar 20, 2012 - This is a snapshot of the chaos, death, fear and terror that Syrians must endure everyday that Bashar Al Assad remains in power.
Thanks @ahmed
The Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs has seen the heaviest bombardment of the Syrian conflict so far. New satellite images from GeoEye & Google (open in Google Earth with this KML) highlight the level of destruction, showing a deserted, pock-marked landscape full of craters, holes and rubble.
We’ve combined these new images with footage that Storyful curated as events unfolded, tracking video from citizen journalists over a month of bombardment in Homs that has decimated homes and businesses and claimed hundreds of lives.
Click the title to view the images …
THE PEOPLE OF IDLEB ARE BEING MASSACRED THE SAME WAY BABA, AMR IN HOMS WAS - AGAIN, IN-FRONT OF THE WORLD. Idleb: Mar 12, 2012 - Scenes of death and destruction in Idleb as the injured are taken to make-shift clinics. Assad’s forces are using the same Russian-backed force against the city’s civilian population as they did when they obliterated Baba Amr in Homs.
Thanks @SyriaArchives
From Danish architect Bjørn Holst Jespersen, he lists all the various weapons that Assad’s forces are using against innocent civilians in Homs, Syria.
240 mm mortar – either M240 or 2S4
The images below are screen-dumps from a video (@Brown_Moses must be credited for the head up).
They seems to be stems of large calibre mortar rounds. And by comparing to the size of the persons carrying the ordnance-parts they appear to be more than 200 mm.
Wikipedia has a list of heavy mortars. It is not long, and the only “active” mortar listed of a calibre of this size is the Russian made towed 240 mm mortar M240or the later self-propelled 2S4 (also 240 mm calibre).
Image and drawings of mortar round form British Ordnance Collectors Network. image of 2S4 mortar is screen-dump from video on BitnikGr’schannel.
The shell (or grenade) is about 1.5 meter long and has a weight of 130 kg with 32 kg of explosives.
Bjørn says this is the largest calibre mortar still being used worldwide. And even if it is said to have some accuracy in this context he believes it can be categorized as an “indiscriminate weapon”. Probably aiming at terrorizing the people in the besieged areas through general destruction.
122 mm howitzer – 2A18 (D-30)
Image credit: U.S. Department of State
On Feb. 10. 2012, the U. S. Department of State published a series of satellite images showing artillery deployed by the Syrian regime against different cities. The image above is one of two related to Homs.
According to the image presented as identifying the type of artillery deployed it is a Russian 122 mm howitzer.
Howitzers are characterized by having a muzzle velocity of the projectile that is slower than other cannons. They fire their projectiles (shells) at a higher angle which makes the projectiles hit at a steeper angle. This makes a Howitzer capable of hitting targets where the direct line of fire is blocked – in this case – by buildings.
By looking at Wikipedias list of howitzers it appears that they are made in three sizes: 155/152.4 mm, 122 mm and 105 mm, with the 105 mm size being less common.
Shell fragment
Left image is from @ArabSpringFF. Drawing credit wiki.
The image above shows a fragment of a stabilizer-stem from an artillery shell. For comparison purposes, a drawing of an example of a 122 mm grenade is on the left on the same illustration. But please notice: the specific weapon it was fired has not been identified.
Bjørn comments: “I haven’t seen any certain photo-documentation of 122 mm grenade fragments found inside Homs.”
About artillery shells
Artillery shells are NOT just oversized rifle projectiles: as can be seen in the illustration above, they are complex objects launched by a cannon using an explosive charge. For easier understanding they could be called cannon-bombs.
Just to give readers a basic idea, a typical shell carries an amount of high explosives (maybe 25% of total weight) that is detonated at impact by a fuse-mechanism. When the shell explodes the steel case is blown apart – fragmented – into melting hot pieces of shrapnel. And the purpose of the shrapnel is to kill or wound persons, which it does. The blast itself will also kill or wound people, but within a smaller radius compared to the shrapnel. Primarily it will cause material damage were it hits.
BM-21 Grad
Image credit: U.S. Department of State
According to the photo above, the weapons deployed here is the Russian made multiple rocket launcher BM-21. It launches the 122 mm so-called Grad missile. Here is a link to a video showing how it is operated.
Grad missiles are a continuation of a rocket type Russia/ Soviet Union began producing during WWII. Back then the Soviets nick-named it Katyusha which is still sometimes being used. Generally speaking, Grads are relatively powerful, cheap to produce, fast to fire, slow to load and inaccurate.
Today’s Russian Grads are about 3 meter long and weight about 70 kg. They have a range of up to 40 km (Iran has made models with range up to 75 km). Typically they will explode and fragment on impact (see description of shells above), but they can also be used to carry cluster bombs, mines or chemicals.
“To my knowledge, firing Grads into a city can only be described as an indiscriminate attack,” Bjorn says who also adds “I haven’t seen any photo-documentation of Grad missile fragments found inside Homs, but Katyusha rockets have been mentioned in reports.
73 mm rocket, RPG-7 and more
The image above is a screenshot from France 24, February 22/23. A group of Syrian opposition fighters/defenders in Homs showed some of the ordnance fragments they have collected.
Here’s Bjorn explaination of what A, B, C, D and E could be:
A: I’m quite sure this part is from a munition like the one in the image below. If so; then it’s a 73 mm grenade. Here is a link to a Pakistani version. I have also noticed that that the Russian made BMP-1 (an infantry fighting vehicle) has a 73 mm gun. And since the BMP-1 have been in several videos I believe those are the ones that have been firing them.
B: stabilizer from a RPG-7 (Rocket Propelled Grenade, mainly used against tanks and other armoured vehicles).
C: don’t know.
D: don’t know.
E: this one has an unusual colour. It seems to me like it is some kind of tube with holes that have been cracked and partly flattened. The original diameter of this part can not have been more than about 5 cm. I don’t expect to be able to id this one, but I believe it is from the rear-end of either a mortar shell or a small missile/rocket.
Image credit: Pakistan Ordnance Factories web site
Cluster munitions?
Screenshots from this video on syriapioneer’s channel
Two frames stitched together showing a series of explosions said to be from the same shell or rocket. Although some believe that cluster bombs could have caused them, according to Holst Jespersen this video linked by @ArabSpringFFseems to show that the number of sub-munitions is lower and more separate than usual cluster bombs.
107 mm rockets and more
Photo tweeted by @ArabSpringFF on february 8. for identification.
Here’s Bjorn explaination of what A, B, C and D could be:
A: these are parts of a mortar stem, and judging from the images I’ve seen it’s a type of shell that is used very often in this conflict.In another photo, I believe I have been able to measure the size of the fins to be more than 100 mm and less than 130 mm. And to my knowledge this will make it a shell for a 120 mm mortar. That is the largest caliber among the mordern infatery mortars in Wikipedia’slist and it could look something like this.I have not been able to determine the specific shell-type but here is an example.
B: according to this video (at about 1:02) this part is from a107 mm rocket.
C: these two parts seems to match a 107 mm rocket that have been identified by New York Times journalist C. J. Chivers in this blog post. And here is a video to get an idea of how it works. And another that I just couldn’t resist linking to.
Apart from flying in the general direction it is pointed, this weapon has no precision, which will make it an indiscriminate weapon in this context.D: when comparing this to the one marked “C” there is no doubt this is of a larger calibre. To my knowledge there are only two to choose from (more or less): 122 mm and 152.4 mm. And since I believe the step up to the 152.4 mm to be too large I’m leaning towards this being from some kind of 122 mm calibre shell or rocket.
S-5 Rockets
The following video was sent to The Aviationist from another source. It shows what look like S-5K rockets. These rockets could come from the Mi-24 Hind helicopters seen overflying the area of the clashes, even if this is just speculation since no video of aerial attack has emerged so far .
TWENTY FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS OF BOMBING. 24. أربع وعشرون. ٢٤. Veinticuatro. Vingt à Quatre. 二十四个. двадцать четыре. Yirmi dört. Homs (Baba Amr) Feb 27, 2011 - For 24 straight days Assad has bombed Homs city’s most impoverished district. Killing hundreds. Injuring thousands.
And the word watches.
More shelling in Baba Amr here, here and here
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ASSAD’S ARMY IS USING THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND HEAVIEST MORTAR - THE “TYULPAN” AGAINST BABA AMR, HOMS. This is a Russian demonstration video of the mortar rounds. The 130kg projectile-of-death can be fired from a distance of 9 to 20km away and be used for chemical and nuclear wepaons. The system was especially created to be used against forces that are well defended and “dug-in”.
The Tyulpan is currently the heaviest mortar in deployment among any country. The only known operators of the system according to Wikipedia are Russia and Syria.
These mortars are being used against the most impoverished and densely populated neighborhood in Homs City - Baba Amr as proven here. The use of these weapons against a civilian population is barbaric and defies words.
Reports coming out of Homs, which has been pounded for weeks now by Bashar al-Assad’s military, indicate one of the worst days of shelling against a Syrian city since the war started there.
The Syria Observatory for Human Rights says that at least 16 civilians were killed in Homs’ Baba Amr neighborhood, three of them children. The BBC reports at least 30 dead in Homs, which has emerged as a stronghold for both armed and peaceful resistance to Mr. Assad’s continued rule. Among the dead in Baba Amr was Rami al-Sayyed, a young Syrian who’d devoted himself since July to filming fighting and protest marches. As Syriapioneer on Youtube, he uploaded 831 videos between then and earlier today.
The next to last video on the account posted early today, too graphic to share here, was of Mr. Sayyed sitting beside a man in tracksuit who’d been mutilated beyond recognition. Sayyed was cut down by an infantrymen a few hours later, and the final video on the account is of his body being prepared for burial, uploaded by his brother.
Click the title to read/watch more…
***GRAPHIC*** A BRAVE LITTLE GIRL IS TREATED FOR A TERRIBLE WOUND TO HER ARM. Homs (Baba Sibaa): Feb 20, 2012 - Where else on earth would you see such a sight? A brave little girl, who does not cry, is being treated for a shrapnel wound from a Russian made/supplied shell that was fired at her by her supposed government? Only in Syria would this happen.
The only people on earth who make it a policy to target little girls are the forces of Bashar Al Assad.
BASHAR AL ASSAD SLEEPS SOUNDLY AS HIS FORCES INJURE ANOTHER CHILD. 16TH STRAIGHT DAY OF SHELLING - Homs (Baba Amr) Feb 19, 2012 - The familiar face of Dr. Mohammed Al Mohammed shows us the latest victim of Assad’s “cleansing” campaign against the city of Homs and his genocidal use of force against Baba Amr (the most impoverished neighborhood in Homs). A child - deemed a “terrorist” suffers a shrapnel wound to his head. Dr. Mohammed continues to implore the world to move to action, to help save them … are his pleas falling on deaf ears?
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THIS IS NOT GAZA. THIS IS NOT GROZNY. THE DESTRUCTION OF HOMS IS ALMOST COMPLETE. Homs (Baba Amr): Feb 17, 2012 - Shells continue to fall as the camera-man gives the world a tour of the level of destruction in the district of Baba Amr. The world has watched this city from the first days of its peaceful protests, to what it is now - the scene of one of the modern era’s worst massacres.
Thanks syrianfreedomls:
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***LEAKED VIDEO*** ASSAD’S FORCES USING RUSSIAN KILLING MACHINES ON CIVILIAN TARGETS. No, this is not the illusionary Assad army liberating the Golan Heights - as was promised by the Assad regime for decades. This is the “war” Assad’s forces are conducting on Syria’s own men, women and children. The Russian government continues to ship weapons to the Assad regime knowing full well that each bullet they ship, each mortar, each rocket, each mortar and each shell is used towards defenseless and innocent women, children and men.
AN ASSAD TANK FIRES DIRECTLY BELOW THE CAMERA. Homs (Baba Amr) Feb 17, 2012 - Watch as the Russian made / Assadist controlled tank in the background aims its barrel and fires directly below the camera in the foreground. This is what Assad’s cowardly mercenaries know best - hide in their tanks and fire at women and children.
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WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THIS? THE DAILY REALITY OF LIFE IN HOMS - THE CAPITAL OF THE SYRIAN REVOLUTION - Homs: Feb 14, 2012: Just seconds after a shell explodes next door the cameraman captures what life and death is like in Baba Amr, Homs. Shells landing every few minutes. People rushing to the scene, braving the sniper-fire from Assad’s forces and risking their own lives to save the wounded and collect the dead.
There are no hospitals, no medical supplies, no food, no water, no electricity, no heating … nothing. The people of Homs have no one except God.
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CAR SUFFERS A DIRECT MORTAR HIT WITH OCCUPANTS INSIDE. Homs (Baba Amr) Feb 13, 2012 - You can see the outline of a man, his leg dangling from the back of the pickup truck while the rest of his body is in flames as the truck burns. Another passenger is seen on the ground, his mouth open, frozen in time as he lay dead.
If you try and flea the city - Assad’s forces will kill you. If you stay where you are - Assad’s forces will kill you. If you lie in your grave - Assad’s forces will try their worst to kill you again.
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THIS IS NOT A MOVIE. THIS IS HOMS. AS THE WORLD CELEBRATES VALENTINES DAY, HOMS COMES UNDER BRUTAL ATTACK FOR THE 10TH DAY IN A ROW. Homs (Baba Amr) Feb 14, 2012 - For 10 merciless days in a row Assad’s forces have bombed this besieged district. No food, no water, no medical supplies, no electricity … nothing goes in and no one can leave. The people have no where to hide and no where to run. All they can do is wait for their eventual death.
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