Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS709

Incident date

April 19, 2017

Location

حي الاسكندرية, Al Iskanderia, Al Tabaqa, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.813889, 38.547222 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and five civilians died and up to seven more were wounded in alleged Coalition airstrike on Tabaqa, local media reported.

According to Syria Mirror, “field activists said that the Coalition aircraft launched several air raids on the residential communities in the city of Al Tabaqa, killing seven people, including two members of IS and wounding others”.

The Smart News Network also pointed towards the Coalition, reporting that it carried out five raids which killed four non-combatants and wounded seven more.

TunisiaTV and Moheet also said that “Syrian opposition sources reported the killing of two people and wounding others in the bombing of the Daheyat Alexandria, south of the city of Tabaqa in rural Raqqa”, though the sources didn’t identify the culprit.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Al Iskanderia neighbourhood (حي الاسكندرية) of the city of Al Tabaqa ( الطبقة‎, also known as Al Thawra, الثورة‎), for which the coordinates are: 35.8295049, 38.5360909. The coordinates for the Al Iskanderia neighbourhood are: 35.813889, 38.547222.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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 (5) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Tabqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV592635
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 26, 2018
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 18th-19th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

For April 19th-20th: “Near Tabqah, seven strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed five ISIS oil tankers, two command and control nodes, two fighting positions, one tunnel, one ISIS-held building, and one VBIED facility; and damaged a fighting position.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]