Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS680

Incident date

April 10, 2017

Location

شعيب الذكر, دبسي فرج, Sho'aib Al Zakir and Dibsi Faraj , Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.804604, 38.276691 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between six and ten civilians including two children and one woman died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the villages of Shoeib Al Zakar and Dibsi Faraj, according to local sources.

The Smart News Agency reported that the Coalition carried out five raids, killing six non-combatants including two children and a woman as well as wounding four others.

Al Araby put the death toll at ten.

The incident was first reported on April 10, 2017 at 2:30 pm by Smart News Agency.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the villages of Sho’aib Al Zakir (شعيب الذكر), for which the  coordinates are: 35.804604, 38.276691 and Dibsi Faraj (دبسي فرج), for which the coordinates are: 35.878991, 38.160852. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.    

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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]

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 Sho’aib Al Zakir, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV305749
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • 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.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 10th-11th: “Near Ar Raqqah, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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]