Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Three civilians and a member of IS died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa’s Al Mashlab neighbourhood, local media reported.
According to the Smart News Network, “Three civilians and a member of ‘Islamic State’ were killed on Wednesday by a bombing likely to be by the international coalition in the al-Mashlaab district of the city of Raqqa, northeast of Syria”.
Almanartv also pointed towards the Coalition, reporting the death of an IS gunman in addition to three non-combatants.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (2) [ collapse]
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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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
For May 16th-17th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed five vehicles, two VBIEDs, two mortar systems, and an ISIS storage facility; and damaged an ISIS bridge.” The Coalition also additionally reported that on May 16th “Near Raqqah, one strike damaged an ISIS supply route,” and that “Near Raqqah, Syria, on May 16th, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed six ISIS-held buildings, four ISIS tunnels, two fighting positons, and one tactical vehicle.”
For May 17th-18th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 11 strikes [1 British?] engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed five fighting positions, three mortar systems, three vehicles, two ISIS fuel trucks, and an ISIS headquarters; and damaged an ISIS supply route."
"Wednesday 17 May – Typhoons attacked terrorist mortar teams in Syria, whilst Tornados destroyed a tank in north-west Iraq and a Daesh position in Mosul...Two Typhoons assisted the Syrian Democratic Forces on Wednesday 17 May. Their first attack was on a mortar which a coalition surveillance aircraft had spotted north-west of Raqqa. Having eliminated that threat, the Typhoons then headed to the east of the country, where they bombed two buildings near Al Ulwah which were being used by another Daesh mortar team and their spotters. A Tornado flight meanwhile patrolled over Mosul, where they used a Brimstone missile to strike a terrorist position. Another Tornado flight later struck a Daesh tank loaded on the back of a heavy transport vehicle in north west Iraq, hitting it with a Brimstone."