Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS346

Incident date

October 24, 2016

Location

الجرنية, Al Jarnia, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.16054, 38.23337 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Coalition raids in the vicinity of ground fighting left at least 2 civilians dead, according to local sources.

Initial reports from ISIS-controlled Al A’amaq Agency blamed the Coalition for the deaths of two civilians. Subsequent reporting echoed that account (they may have been based on Al A’amaq);Al Jarnia and several other outlets named the two civilians as Abd al Ghani Al Sahoud and Moussa al Zagheer. They also noted that the town was the cite of shelling by Kurdish militias as well as coalition strikes.

Shaam News Network also cited Coalition raids and said that “a number” of civilians were also wounded. The Syrian Network said the Coalition was responsible.

Step News agency reported that the Coalition targeted Al Jarnia with 3 raids “which centered on IS positions and cars in the city center killing two civilians and wounded several others.” It noted that ISIL had clashed with the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces in the area.

However, a subsequent Smart News report put the toll of Coalition strikes in Jarnia at four civilians and a further five wounded.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (15) [ 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 Al Jurnia, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 23rd-24th, the Coalition reported “Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes engaged two ISIL supply routes and destroyed an oil pump jack.” For October 24th-25th, the Coalition reported no strikes in the vicinity.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]