Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS876

Incident date

May 28, 2017

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.047659, 38.980279 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality” reported that a drone strike killed a family of ten as their house in northern Raqqa was struck.

Reportedly, three IS fighters were present in the area in the morning, but when a suspected drone was heard the three fleed. The family also tried to flee but the airstrike hit their two-storey farmhouse and killed the 10 family members who were inside.

Meanwhile, other family members who were outside the house, survived unharmed, one of the surviving family members, Mahmoud, told Amnesty’s researchers.

However, on August 30th 2018, the Coalition said it had concluded an assessment of possible civilian harm. In the report, the Coalition wrote: “May 28, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via self-report. 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.”

The Coalition shared the location of this assessed strike with Airwars: 37SDV974852. The event could also possibly be related to incident S769, but this incident cannot be discounted due to insufficient information on the location.

In July 2019 the Coalition reassessed the allegation of civilian harm in this incident and again reached a conclusion that it was non-credible. Their monthly civilian casualty report noted “After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.”

The incident occured at 13:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (10)

50 years old male brother of interviewee killed
13 years old male son of Ibrahim killed
21 years old male son of Ibrahim killed
24 years old male son of Ibrahim killed
32 years old male son of interviewee killed
24 years old male Mustafa's brother killed
20 years old male Mustafa's brother killed
15 years old male Mustafa's brother killed
12 years old male interviewee’s nephew killed
Name unknown
30 years old male

The victims were named as:

30 years old male the farm guard, nickname Abu Jana killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • (3 children7 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
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, Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Stated location
    in Raqqa, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV982892
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2019
  • May 28, 2017, in Raqqa, Syria, via Amnesty International report. After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For May 27th-28th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 15 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed six fighting positions, three ISIS headquarters, an ISIS staging area and a VBIED.” The Coalition additionally reported that on May 27th “Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed a six fighting positions, an ISIS-held building and a weapons cache.”
For May 28th-29th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, eight strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles, two VBIED factories, two VBIED facilities, and an ISIS mechanical facility." For May 28th it added "Near Raqqah, Syria, four strikes destroyed a weapons cache, an ISIS staging area, and three fighting positions".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • (3 children7 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition