Thread by @BBCWorld

An investigation by @BBCArabic has uncovered evidence of war crimes committed in #Idlib province, Syria

Local activists hold Russia responsible

bbc.in/32lY1L2

THREAD ⬇️

@BBCArabic In this rebel-held town in northern #Syria, an aerial attack on a street market of Maarat al-Numan on July 22 killed 39 people

Two separate airstrikes hit the same civilian target #Idlib

@BBCArabic This is known as a double tap - when an initial airstrike is followed by a second attack by the same plane to kill civilians and medics trying to help the injured

As foreign secretary in 2016, Boris Johnson called the use of "double-tap" as "unquestionably a war crime"

@BBCArabic Russia denied all involvement and disputed that the market was hit at all

So what actually happened? #Idlib

@BBCArabic First, @BBCArabic had to establish the exact location that had been hit

They matched aerial drone footage from @HadiAlabdallah with satellite images, using 3 visible points

This is a residential area.

#OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah So how could a double tap attack be proved? The first clue came in this video filmed by local cameraman Mohammed Shawary. @BBCArabic established where the video was shot as a location just behind our building #OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah Mohammed’s video also captured the moment the second air strike took place. #OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah In the footage filmed immediately after the second hit, we can see the shadow cast by a rescuer - which we used as a sun-dial.

When we plot his position on the map, and the direction of the sun, we can calculate the time of the second hit between 9 and 9:10 am #OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah This left half an hour between the two airstrikes, just enough time for rescuers to show up. Like 30-year-old Amir al-Bani, a white helmets volunteer killed as he was helping the injured. #OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah So who carried out the airstrikes?

This plane tracker is part of a network that monitor warplanes inside rebel held #Idlib province.

They listen to the communication of the war planes, and then decipher the codes the pilots use to know where they are headed #OSINT

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah Hmeimim is a Russian operated air base in the Syrian government’s stronghold, Latakia province

The airbase is about 80 kilometres away from the market in Maraat al-Numan in opposition-held #Idlib province

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah Two warplanes were also spotted that day leaving a Syrian government-operated airbase, but only after the attacks on the market #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah A week after the attack Russia said they had no planes in the air in the area on that day

They also denied that the market had been hit at all

They showed footage of an undamaged market, claiming the attack never happened #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah The footage does indeed show an intact market

@BBCArabic identified it as Al Hal wholesale market

It is 350 metres away from the street market in Maarat al-Numan @BBCArabic have confirmed was targeted with the double-tap #OSINT #Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah Another video published by the Russian ministry of defence shows a market on street level

In it we see this bike going past a car park with a tall building behind

This is the same market Russian military identified in the first video

#Idlib

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah The Russian foreign ministry didn’t answer specific questions on the attack

They said:
"In August alone, militants in #Idlib had launched 4 rocket attacks on Hmeimim airbase & over 20 attacks killing more than 140 Syrian soldiers"

Syrian government did not respond to the BBC

@BBCArabic @HadiAlabdallah Watch more: #Idlib "double tap" air strike Russia says never was: bbc.in/2Lhh2bV