Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS324

Incident date

October 1, 2016

Location

Subha, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Airwars assessment

The Coalition denied that it had killed or injured civilians near Deir ez Zawr on October 1st, despite local claims.

According to reports, multiple bridges were targeted in Coalition strikes on October 1st, with Step News reporting that “Coalition warplanes destroyed a number of bridges including Al-Abbas bridge in Abu Kamal, and Al-Nawam.” Other reports said the Al-Ashara bridge in Deir Ezzor and the Al Tarif village bridge were also targeted. 7al also claimed that “Coalition warplanes open heavy fire on civilians houses which wounded many civilians.” And according to SRV, “One woman died and three people were wounded, one seriously called Khaleel Shabak, after Coalition warplanes struck Subha village in Deir Ezzor.” However the Coaliiton at the time only reported hitting oil installations.

A Coalition report issued in December 2016 stated: “(9.) Oct. 1, 2016, near Dayr az Zawr, Syria: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographical area.” However it was unclear which locale the Coalition had assessed, since it had already confirmed it conducted strikes in the province that day.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

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
  • Stated location
    near Dayr az Zawr, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 1, 2016
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographical area

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For September 30th-October 1st 2016, the Coalition reported that “Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed 24 oil tanker trucks and two oil well heads.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]