Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS904

Incident date

June 2, 2017

Location

حي الرومانية, Romaniya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.963056, 38.975556 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian reportedly died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Romaniya, according to the Smart News Agency.

Smart noted that “warplanes likely to be from the International alliance launched two raids on the Romaniya and Rumayla neighborhoods in the city, killing three civilians and wounding six others in Rumaila, who were working on a nearby tractor. One additional person died at Romaniya.”

No further details are currently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 Romaniya, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV977798
    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 June 1st-June 2nd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed five vehicles, three fighting positions, a front end loader and an ISIS crane.” It also later added that on June 1st “Near Raqqah, Syria, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, an ISIS-held building, and an IED.”
For June 2nd-June 3rd, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 10 strikes [1 British] engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 vehicles, five fighting positions, four tactical vehicles, two VBIEDs and an ammunition cache." The Coalition added that "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions."

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

"Friday 2 June – Tornados and Typhoons destroyed an armoured truck near Raqqa, and attacked eight targets in Mosul…A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair used a Brimstone to destroy an armoured truck moving along a main road on the outskirts of Raqqa on Friday 2 June. Two other flights operated over Mosul, where attacks were delivered in very close support to the Iraqi forces, hitting eight Daesh positions with a mix of Brimstones and Paveway IVs. The targets included three machine-gun teams and three groups of terrorists armed with rocket-propelled grenades. In addition, a truck-bomb, concealed close to one of the positions, was also fortuitously detonated by one of the attacks."

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]