Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS161

Incident date

December 29, 2015

Location

أعزاز‎, A`zaz, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.586273, 37.04739 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to reports a car which was carrying a family reportedly fleeing the violence in Syria was itself struck in an alleged Coalition airstrike, killing a young infant girl.

Aisha Saleh Hassan al Hameedi was reported killed and her family injured when their car was struck near A’zaz, northern Aleppo. The family had been displaced from the village of Rahiya in Qamishli and were said to be heading north with the intention of crossing into Turkey.

In their January 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Child female Infant killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Aisha Saleh Hassan was killed and her father and other family members injured in a reported Coalition strike December 29 2015 (via Hassakah Youth)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Very Graphic: The body of baby Aisha Saleh Hassan al Hameedi victim of alleged coalition strike on A'zaz, Aleppo. [Via: Hassakah Youth]
  • Aisha Saleh Hassan al Hameedi, killed in alleged coalition air strike. [Via: Hassakah Youth]
  • Injured member of Aisha's family [Via: Hassakah Youth]
  • Injured member of Aisha's family [Via: Hassakah Youth]
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCA253507
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 3, 2020
  • December 29, 2015, in A’zaz, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2878/CS161 37SCA253507

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reported that for December 29th-30th 2015 “Near Aleppo, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]