Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS261

Incident date

July 13, 2016

Location

منبج, Manbij, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.5269242, 37.9559288 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were reported killed in Manbij, either by Coalition aircraft or more likely, as a result of a Daesh-boobytrapped vehicle.

As Lens Young Manbij reported, “Al Haj Mahmoud Sarmini, his wife and daughter Alaa Sarmini, 4 years old, were killed near al Fatah station. We don’t know whether it was an IS booby trap or air raids that targeted their home on Wednesday.

Others put the age of Mr Sarmini and his wife at 86 and 72, suggesting that Alaa was their grandchild or great grandchild.

In their May 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:

Family members (3)

Al Haj Mahmoud Sarmini
86 years old male killed
Al Haj Mahmoud Sarmini's wife
72 years old female killed
Alaa Sarmini
4 years years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

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
    37SDA047425
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 1, 2020
  • July 13, 2016, in Manbij, 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. 3009/CS261 37SDA047425

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 12th-13th, the Coalition reported that “Near Manbij, eight strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]