(incomplete)
CivilDefense Douma (CDD) - the pre-White Helmets friendly non-Islamist rescue guys - overview post - morgue photos + CW signs overview - Among the Assad regime crimes they were forced to respond to and expose was a massacre at the "chemistry barrier/checkpoint" near Adra on January 28, 2013.
A CDD image claims to show the 6 bodies piled in a truck: "a new massacre committed by Assad's regime against the six martyrs from the Sons of the city of Douma field executed on barrier chemistry near the city of Adra." Individual victim photos (below) describe these men and a boy as "Anonymous martyrs At the chemistry barrier on Adra Road." That image is a still from this 54-second video that adds little.
1-28 photo Martyrs of the Massacre of the Qumiya checkpoint Six of the sons of the stricken city of Duma are entitled to Allah and yes the agent 2013.1.28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VHcJgJzc1Q
morgue video by free syr 1:02 (daylight, shows some unwrapped, the nearest one here being wrapped, allowing correlation with bodies in the truck - the same is the one in on top of the pile in poss. blue denim jeans, and numbered V5 below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGuMQyXn1E
morgue video 0:15 (dark, dim, post-wrapping)
Wrapped in white for burial should come after found dead in street clothes. Also, it should usually come after washing the victims, but this is often skipped in such case as it is here. I'm not sure why and if that's much of a clue (like perhaps "Only heaven requires cleanliness to enter, so there's no point washing someone we just sent to hell")
Wrapped in white for burial should come after found dead in street clothes. Also, it should usually come after washing the victims, but this is often skipped in such case as it is here. I'm not sure why and if that's much of a clue (like perhaps "Only heaven requires cleanliness to enter, so there's no point washing someone we just sent to hell")
Location: from this information, it's very unclear. "chemical barrier" in Arabic: حاجز الكيمياء (haj'z al-kymya) The "chemical" words is spelled right there (if that's the word); phonetically it's al-kymya. But it's also spelled in some places with a letter missing, as الكمياء (phonetically: al-k'mya)
Neither spelling pointed to anything labeled nearby on Wikimpaia. But it should be somewhere in this area on the road (prob. not the highway) from Douma to Adra, at a checkpoint perhaps guarding one of the industrial areas, which might produce chemicals.
Only later on (below) does a more specific locale emerge: Maydaa/Meda'a, circled in red. It's a bit south of what's suggested, but consistent. It's on the main road liking Adra to Damascus International Airport to the south, and the victims are listed as at least partly from Haran al-Awameed, next to the airport (green box, obviously). This makes Army Brigade 39 a likely (alleged)location of the chemistry checkpoint massacre, but that's still unclear. Also, from the bits I know, LiA or allies were in charge of or active in most towns and roads in this area, having already reported regime chemical attacks on people they probably just killed in Bahariya (south of Maydaa) and in Rihan (under "Army") label) in Nov. 2012, and would claim several men killed by regime sarin in Otaybah (NW of Haran al-Awameed) in March.
The logic of it is some locals tried to pass innocently through this checkpoint, where regime thugs refused to let them pass, and in fact murdered them and mutilated them and whatever - then they perhaps dumped the bodies somewhere that activists discovered them pretty swiftly … Or perhaps they know the killing location because rebel fighters found them at the barrier after forcing the thugs out, before the thugs could bury the evidence of their latest routine massacre.
Or, of course, the people who found the bodies and/or their militant allies killed these people instead, right at that checkpoint or nowhere near it, for all we can tell.
Clues suggest these bodies are neither freshly killed, nor old enough to show much decay. They're probably less than two days dead, and anything unusual won't be due to the body starting to rot. The limpness of the bodies being handled suggests the same - long enough that rigor mortis has faded back away (it's not permanent).
The "chemistry" part is intriguing, because the victims might have the signs I'm looking at for a fairly specific kind of chemical murder … as well as the clear marks of conventional weapons, like guns and swords.
The logic of it is some locals tried to pass innocently through this checkpoint, where regime thugs refused to let them pass, and in fact murdered them and mutilated them and whatever - then they perhaps dumped the bodies somewhere that activists discovered them pretty swiftly … Or perhaps they know the killing location because rebel fighters found them at the barrier after forcing the thugs out, before the thugs could bury the evidence of their latest routine massacre.
Or, of course, the people who found the bodies and/or their militant allies killed these people instead, right at that checkpoint or nowhere near it, for all we can tell.
Clues suggest these bodies are neither freshly killed, nor old enough to show much decay. They're probably less than two days dead, and anything unusual won't be due to the body starting to rot. The limpness of the bodies being handled suggests the same - long enough that rigor mortis has faded back away (it's not permanent).
The "chemistry" part is intriguing, because the victims might have the signs I'm looking at for a fairly specific kind of chemical murder … as well as the clear marks of conventional weapons, like guns and swords.
6 or 7 Victims
The related photos and videos seem to show 7 bodies, and at least to start, they're all unidentified, with one apparent teenage boy and the rest being men, tending to look like older men, but then being dead can age a person. ... numbered here Victim 1-7 in order of clarity of their potential chemical signs, except for #7 put last for seeming contested, despite (because of?) being perhaps the clearest case.
V1 mustachioed man, no visible wounds but blood and mucous, eye damage, cyanosis
V2 the boy with coughed-up blood, cyanosis
V3 older man, bloody face, small forehead wound, poss. cyanosis
V4 older man, split-open head, unclear signs
V5 another older man, split-open head, unclear signs
V6 a body with the head almost totally removed (horrible mystery, no signs)
V7 bearded man, no visible wounds but blood and mucous, eye damage, cyanosis
Analysis
V1 purple upper head, red-purple livor mortis elsewhere (left face-down), and/or blood-staining, but lips don't appear purple, and that's a key marker for serious cyanosis... eyes: puffed up badly with fluids at one point, then flattened after draining, left flat and wrinkled? some blood coughed up, white residue instead of yellow across upper head (unrelated? Just different mucous, tears, etc? Blood, then mucous, is the most frequent order, and would apply here.) Some crusted blood or a raisin in the inner corner on the right eye, and maybe a fresh burn or wound at its outer corner? Some missing teeth and a fat lip on that same side - tooth still intact at an angle?
V2, boy - he's got purple livor mortis, centered in the forehead, closer to his vertical hair, which is coated with a lot of blood that flowed up from his mouth and nose.
All that could be from post-mortem body position, but also from being tied upside down as he coughed it out and died. Little overall cyanosis - purple in the lips, anywhere else - could mean no suffocation, or not a lot. Little sign of mucous or foam means the same: a lot of quick damage, a lot of bleeding, a relatively swift suffocation with little struggle (fluids + struggle = foam). At this end of the scale, a chemical death of the type I'm investigating can look like gunshot to the chest, or vice-versa, so the clues aren't the clearest. He also may have red, damaged eyes, some yellow visible inside a nostril, yellow bits in his hair ... a band-shaped bruise on his neck is surely another clue.
V3 (purple color?, yellow staining on cheeks? eyes? ) Only a superficial-seeming wound to the forehead to explain the blood seen. Also, this image is very familiar to me for some reason... anyone else happen to know if it was re-used somewhere else? It's app. nowhere in the "Caesar photos" as I had thought.
V4 mild puffy eyes, poss. color and lip issues, at least some blood from the nose, but then he was apparently smashed so it half-flattened and split open.
V5 below - (eyes, pink foam at nose? a little hard to tell now...
V7 Contested (see below) One eye is fairly red, but not squeezed shut and not swollen - the other eye seems to be gouged out? Blood and thick yellow mucous with brown in it plugged his nose, distorting one nostril - quite purple lips, mild purple in general, but not as much in the forehead? Forehead covered in blood might be just from post-mortem body positioning, not from how he was killed.
The Odd One Out?
That was a lsiting of the 7 vicitms going with the consistent claims of 6 victims. Now to sort of who they didn't mean to include...
V2 seemed contested at first. VDC ... unidentified, child-male. Notes: He was killed in summary execution by regime forces in Ma'azen. Not sure where this is: the Arabic version translates the location as "minarets area" ( منطقة المآذن - mintaqat almadhin ) and brings up nothing on Wikimapia. But CDD says he's "One of the martyrs of the massacre of chemistry unknown identity (5)" this video calls him "Unknown child (13 years (estimate?)) / Damascus countryside - Adra / executed by elements at chemical barrier" And a boy or young man that could only be him is lined up with the others in a dim, blurry, stretched morgue video - comparing the two, it's clear he's included here as well.
But it's V7 who seems the odd man out, if anyone.
The Douma-based VDC has a somewhat scattered listing), perhaps the 8 listed for Damascus suburbs, field execution, Jan. 28. minus Amer Mohammad Saleem, age 25, civ, Nashabeih, executed on 1-28, with a video to show he's not one of these, nor similar appearance, nor any other clue to link him in.
Besides, the victims were unidentified … so here are four "unidentified" entries gathered as can be linked to the listing above
V1 = 5 Unidentified
V2 = Unidentified (child-male)
V3 = Unidentified
V4 = no clear match (located yet)
V5 = a match, but not unidentified anymore ... see next section.
V6 = 6 Unidentified
V7 = no clear match
All tend to be from Douma, have martyrdom location (blank), no notes. Not very specific.
The VDC acknowledges the death toll is six (2 entries note killed at "Kimiya'a" or "al-Chimia" Checkpoint, along with "five other individuals/persons"). Victim 7 is one with no VDC match, but there are two of those, it seems … and the Civil Defense Douma was clear in calling him "An unidentified martyr at the chemistry barrier on Adra Road." However, morgue videos only show six bodies, and on review, this is the one never seen. It's possible he was recovered or processed separately from the rest but still belongs... the tiles under his head and other conditions suggest he's with the others at the point of those photos.
VDC Additions to … the Meda'a Massacre
( أسامة عبد الحميد البوش )
from Haran Al-Awameed, but martyrdom location: Damascus Suburbs: Meda'a. Cause of Death: Field Execution. Image at right is clearly the same V5 from the "chemistry barrier" Meda'a - in our area, south of Adra al-Balad (Maydaa, circled in red, on the map above). Haran Al-Awameed is 11km south of Meda'a, next to the airport (green box).
Via this identity, we could include as likely IDs for two of those above the remaining two VDC entries, helping tie it together a little better:
- Mohammed Hosni Kisaneh, a fighter with "FSA" from Haran Al-Awameed, field executed 1-28, also in Damascus Suburbs: Meda'a
- Husain Ali fr Haran Al-Awameed (no image or clue to which body it might refer to) - "the nickname is not accurately known, he was field executed with five other persons on al-Chimia Checkpoint" Martyrdom location: Damascus Suburbs: Adra. Or, more specifically, Meda'a.
I didn't know Al-Bush was a name. Searching it, VDC lists 53 named al-Boush (in Damascus suburbs) being killed all time, including:
- 5 al-Boush men from Irbin killed by "shelling" on 12-12-12, including this man
- one shot the same day as Osama (Jan. 28)
- 5 killed in a massacre in Jdaidet Al-Fadl, April 19-22, 2013
- 2 al-Boush from or just in Zamalka were killed in the Ghouta chemical massacre in August
- 3 displaced from Haran Awameed killed by "shelling" in Hazzah, 5 March, 2018.
Clusters of bad luck with this family...
Add May 6:
al-Boush, Dsub - 27 named Bushi = 26 killed, mostly from Harran al-Awamid and Irbin In Ghouta: two women - Fawzeh al-Boush 65, from Erbeen, died in Zamalka - Nabelah al-Boush from Zamalka "With Her Family" (under husband's name, unclear)
4 from Harran al-Awamid by shelling 20-7 2012, after 1 on the 18th
5 men from Irbin killed 12-12-12 "Martyred Due Random Shelling With four From His Family" with a lot of blood and some swollen eyes (see Adnan )
4 shot 22-4-13 Artouz: Jdaidet Al-Fadl
3 from Harran al-Awamid shelling in Damascus Suburbs: Eftrees 5-3-18
Other names: Ali seems too general, but Kisaneh, Dsub: just 3 killed all time, in a 5-day span. 1-27, 1-28, 1-31 of 2013. The ones before and after are civilian relatives. In fact … he one killed day before might be his father: Husni Ali al-Qesania, from Haran Al-Awameed, also field executed near Adra (Mohammed Hosni Kisaneh = father should be named Hosni). And is Hosni Ali the same person as Hussein Ali? Or a brother of his killed the day before, or two men who happen to have a father named Ali? As just noted, that name is quite common, but the final entry here might be his or their father: Ali Qesanya age 80, from Haran Al-Awameed, field executed the 31st at "the bank" in "summary execution by regime forces."
Possibly linked in?
Jan. 26 unidentified martyr …
largely burned with fire (likely was face-down, lit from above, on backside, but also around the neck) - prior eye swelling seems likely (one eye now in decay-related swelling?), and app. thick white mucous in the nostrils.
Another Chemistry Barrier Massacre a week earlier?
January 22 video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03a0gX9Lspg
مجزرة حاجز الكيمياء شهداء بعد التكفين 8 شهداء
The massacre of the chemistry barrier Martyrs after the accursed 8 martyrs 22/1 \ 2013
Description:تنسيقة دوما :: شهداء مجزرة حاجز الكيمياء اعدام ميداني استطاع الجيش الحر لواء البراء سحبهم تم تكفينهم
Coordination of Duma :: Martyrs of the massacre of the chemistry barrier Field execution The Free Army Al-Barra Brigade was able to recover them 22\1\2013
Published on Jan 22, 2013 by Thaer Alshami
8 men are claimed, but seemingly different men, more intact, it seems, but very unclear. This is the clearest frame I could find. I intend to review this video and dig for more details … so far, all I could find was a few postings of this video with the same info, nothing added. The VDC martyr's database at least may be of help...
more 1-28 videos ...
https://syriankurdishcenter.blogspot.com/2013/01/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_29.html
طفل لم يتم التعرف عليه ( 13 عام ) / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420025848078336
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8CWEELIhMk
شهيد لم يتم التعرف عليه / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420025131411741
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGfvLPjlgks
شهيد لم يتم التعرف عليه ( دون رأس ) / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FqkiWh1JqE
شهيد لم يتم التعرف عليه / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420025571411697
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpsP4yYerw
شهيد لم يتم التعرف عليه / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420025404745047
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_c0kGPuj-c
شهيد لم يتم التعرف عليه / ريف دمشق – عدرا / أعدم على يد عناصر حاجز الكيمياء
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420025314745056
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGuMQyXn1E
morgue video 0:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzMWXkhkwOY
bodies on truck video 0:54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VHcJgJzc1Q
morgue video by free syr 1:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KtfrMZmI2w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBZzjpR7HwQ
If a fighter dies in battle, it is customary in Iskam to bury them without washing the body.
ReplyDeletehttps://islamqa.info/en/answers/13762/should-the-shaheed-be-washed-and-shrouded
So there are some reasons - I hear chemical exposure is another reason But here and elsewhere, the victims don't seem to be fighters, or killed in a fight, they're often just wrapped up grubby in their clothes and buried. It may mean nothing, or something, right?
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