Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS850

Incident date

May 23, 2017

Location

حي الدرعية, Al Dar’iya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.947222, 38.991389 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Smart News Agency reported that a member of IS and his wife were killed and four other civilians wounded in an alleged Coalition airstrike on a building in the Al Dar’iya neighbourhood of Raqqa.

No further details are currently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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 Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV987794
    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 May 22nd-23rd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, two vehicles, a weapons cache; and damaged an ISIS supply route.” It later additionally added that on May 22nd “Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a VBIED, and a front-end loader.”
For May 23rd-24th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions and a mortar system." It added that "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes destroyed eight command and control nodes and destroyed a VBIED facility" and "Near Raqqah, Syria, May 23, two strikes destroyed three command and control nodes."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]