Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS955a

Incident date

June 10, 2017

Location

شارع النور, Al Nour Mosque, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.955556, 38.9925 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Initially this incident was reported on by several local sources as alleged Coalition airstrikes in the area behind Barazi pharmacy, near Al Nour mosque in the city of Raqqa. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently blamed “international coalition raids and Kurdish militia artillery”, and put the death toll at more than 33, with dozens more wounded. According to RFS, “dozens” died, while Step News Agency said that the Coalition airstrikes were carried out “in conjunction with missile attacks on the city from SDF positions”. Qasioun reported “airstrike with rockets and phosphorous bombs”.

During investigations of this event for the April 2019 joint Airwars and Amnesty report War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality (www.raqqa.amnesty.org), Amnesty field researchers were able to point out that some of the names reported in this incident (Mahmoud al Ahmad al Suleiman (age unknown, male), Rajiha al Ahmad al Suleiman (age unknown, female), Mouna Mahmoud al Suleiman (age unknown, female), Tabarok Mahmoud al Suleiman (age unknown, female), Hisham Abdel Hamid al Badda (age unknown, male)) were actually of people killed in artillery shelling in the Dar’iya neighbourhood (see incidents CS956a and CS956b).

Other names initially reported in this incident are linked to 2 airstrikes investigated for the April 2019 War in Raqqa report, they can be found here: CS955b (Mahmoud Farouk al Khalaf (adult, male), Fadwa Al Mimmo (adult, female), child of Mahmoud and Fadwa (4 months old, male), Hanan Mohamed Ali Hassan Hamza (42 years old, female)). And in CS955c (Karmo al Asma’i (age unknown, male), Khaled Al Shibli (age unknown, male) and Mahmoud Jabali (age unknown, male)).

The 5 people not named in these investigations remain in this incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Khaled al Khalaf al Sayel
Child male killed
Sister of Khaled al Khalaf al Sayel
Age unknown female killed
Father of Khaled al Khalaf al Sayel
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Umm Bashir
Adult female killed
Yasser Abdel Aziz al Alloush
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 33
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (46) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • Khaled al Khalaf al Sayel, one of the victims of an alleged Coalition raid on Al Nour street, June 10th (via SN4HR)
  • Aftermath of the place that was targeted by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via Q_Alenzy twitter)
  • Destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via Q_Alenzy twitter)
  • Umm Bashir, reportedly victim of the alleged Coalition strikes targeting areas near the Mosque Al-Nour, Ragga (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured or killed civilian caused by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured or killed civilian caused by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilian victim of by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Al-nour mosque, before and after the alleged Coalition strikes (via Sound and picture facebook)
  • A picture showing the destruction of Al-Nour mosque and the area near Al-Barazi pharmacy (via Sharqiya voice facebook)
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 Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 9th-10th: “Near Raqqah, 20 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, four vehicles, three ISIS headquarters, a VBIED, and an ISIS-held building; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” It additionally added that “On June 9, near Raqqah, Syria, nine strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, two VBIEDs, two weapons caches, and an ISIS staging area.”

For June 10th-11th: “Near Raqqah, 17 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, four vehicles, two ISIS front-end loaders, two ISIS headquarters, an ISIS UAS and an ISIS barge.” It additionally reported that “On June 10, near Raqqah, Syria, 11 strikes engaged 9 ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, a tunnel, a weapons storage facility, and a command and control node; damaged an ISIS factory; and suppressed a sniper.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Saturday 10 June – In Raqqa, a Reaper struck a group of terrorists engaged in a fire fight with Syrian Democratic Forces, and Typhoons hit two tunnel entrances…The following day [June 10th] , a Reaper intervened in a fire fight in western Raqqa between the SDF and a group of Daesh fighters. The Reaper hit the latter with a very effective Hellfire attack. The same day, Paveway-armed Typhoons struck two entrances to a network of tunnels built beneath a factory in the north-east of the city.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 33
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (46) [ collapse]