Conflict

U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

CS539

Location

حطلة, Hatla, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.34169, 40.19897
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S471)

Five non-combatants died in an airstrike on Makta’a Hajar in Manbij, according to local sources – though reports were conflicted as to whether the US-led Coalition or the Assad regime was responsible.

According to LCCSY, “five civilians from Hatla village in the eastern countryside were killed when the international coalition targeted members of Daesh who were holding civilians detainees with them in the Deir Ezzor desert while they were trying to escape to al Hasaka“.

However, Al Hadath blamed the regime, reporting that warplanes targeted an ISIL convoy.

Euphrates Post, RaedSyrian and the Shaam News Network didn’t identify the planes responsible.

RaedSyrian said that the strike “caused fires in the convoy and destroyed it, along with all the terrorists in it” – though they didn’t mention any civilian casualties.

 

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Civilians reported killed
5

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hatla (حطلة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.34169, 40.19897. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
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 Hatla (Dayr Az Zawr), Syria
Location accuracy
1 m
MGRS coordinate
37SFV0895411596
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For February 26th-27th the Coalition reported that “Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area and destroyed four fighting positions, two ammo caches, a mortar system, a vehicle, a chemical weapons facility and an ISIS headquarters.”
French Military Strike Report
France reports carrying out 34 sorties in the last week – and 11 strikes destroying 19 ISIL targets. In Iraq, the six strikes were concentrated in the Mosul region. They targeted mortar positions, combatant groups, a logistics depot and a command center. In Syria, two ground troop support missions were carried out in the Raqqah and Deir Ezzor areas against artillery pieces and an armored vehicle, loaded with an explosive device (SVBIED). The intervention of a Rafale patrol, after detection and guidance of the ATL2, led to the destruction of 2 clandestine oil wells in the south-east of Raqqah. In the region of Palmyra, two planned strikes were carried out and enabled the neutralization of a military storage site and a vehicle-bomb manufacturing site (VBIED).Task Force Wagram carried out 28 missions]
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2017-09-29
Original Source
After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.
Syrian Regime Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Regime
Syrian Regime position on incident
Not yet assessed