Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS998

Incident date

June 15, 2017

Location

الانتفاضة, Ar Raqqah: Near Khaled Bin Waled school, Intifada neighbourhood, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.944566, 38.994456 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians – including a father and his three children – died in a Coalition airstrike on Raqqa’s Al Intifada neighbourhood, local sources reported. The Coalition later conceded to have killed four civilians in the strike.

Besides from the killing of a father and his three children, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) additionally said that “the wife of the Engineer Hussein Ali Al Mohammed” [Ibrahim Ali Mohammed’s brother’s wife] also died.

According to RBSS, “the International Alliance committed a massacre by shelling a residential house near the Khalid Bin Al Waleed School in the Al-Intifada neighbourhood west of the city centre of Al Raqqa. The martyrs had attempted to leave the city of Al Raqqa for several days ago but they were forced to return to Al-Raqqa after their car was burned by Daesh.”

Jisrtv, who also blamed the Coalition reported that raids “targeted houses near the Khalid bin al-Walid school in Al-Intifada neighbourhood.”

The Coalition confirmed that it unintentionally killed four civilians during an airstrike near al Intifada neighbourhood, Raqqah on June 15, 2017. In their monthly civilian casualty report, they noted “During a Coalition strike which destroyed an ISIS indirect fire weapon system it was assessed that four civilians were unintentionally killed.” Moreover, Coalition officials told Airwars this incident occurred at the location 37SDV995778 (Military grid reference with 100 m accuracy).

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Ibrahim Ali Mohammed
Adult male killed
Ayham (son of Ibrahim Ali Mohammed)
2 years old male killed
Iyad (son of Ibrahim Ali Mohammed)
Child male killed
Amal (daughter of Ibrahim Ali Mohammed)
8 years old female killed

The victims were named as:

Wife of the Engineer Hussein Ali Al Mohammed
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

  • The US-led Coalition officials informed Airwars that the incident occurred at 37SDV995778 (Military Grid Reference System coordinate, accurate to 100 m).

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A photograph showing the destruction of Ibrahim Ali Al Mohammed's house following an alleged Coalition raid, June 15th (via RBSS)
  • Ayham and Yad, the two sons of Ibrahim Ali al-Muhammad, who were killed along with his daughter, in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa's Al Intifada neighbourhood, June 15th (via RBSS)
  • The Coalition airstrikes reportedly killed a family of four, including father Ibrahim Ali Al Muhammad, his two year old son Ayham Al Mohammed and his 8 year old daughter Amal Al Mohammed (via RBSS)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    4
  • Stated location
    near Al Intifada neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV995778
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • June 15, 2017 near Al Intifada neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria via regional humanitarian organization. During a Coalition strike which destroyed an ISIS indirect fire weapon system it was assessed that four civilians were unintentionally killed.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 14th-15th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine fighting positions, three ISIS boats, and a vehicle; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

For June 15th-16th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 20 strikes engaged 14 ISIS tactical units and a sniper and destroyed nine fighting positions, four vehicles, three mortar systems, two supply caches, two ISIS headquarters, a heavy machine gun, and a home-made explosives factory.” It also additionally reported that “On June 15, near Raqqah, Syria, six strikes destroyed eight fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, and a tunnel, and suppressed two snipers.” And that “On June 15, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed six fighting positions, five ISIS staging areas, two command and control nodes, an ISIS headquarters, and a supply cache, and damaged 10 fighting positions and two VBIED facilities.”

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

For June 14th-20th, 19 strikes were made by French aircraft in Iraq and Syria. Most of them were carried out during the Battle of Mosul, in support of the Iraqi fighters engaged in the fighting to drive ISIL out of its positions in the North of the Medina. The other strikes were carried out in support of the fighting for the capture of Raqqah, and against flows of arms and fighters in Iraq and Syria.

Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 34 sorties aériennes dont 31 de reconnaissance armée ou d’appui au sol (CAS) et 3 de recueil de renseignements. 19 frappes ont été réalisées par les avions français en Irak et en Syrie. La majeure partie d’entre elle ont été réalisées dans le cadre de la bataille de Mossoul, en appui des combattants irakiens engagés dans les combats pour chasser Daech de ses positions au Nord de la Médina. Les autres frappes ont été réalisées en appui des combats pour la prise de Raqqah, et contre des flux d’armes et de combattants en Irak et en Syrie.’

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Thursday 15 June – A Reaper destroyed a terrorist vehicle in eastern Syria. Typhoons struck three targets in Raqqa, while Tornados and Typhoons hit a mortar near Tal Afar and six targets in Mosul…The following day [June 15th], a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducted armed reconnaissance in eastern Syria, some 35 miles north-east of Dayr az Zawr, and used a Hellfire missile to destroy a terrorist truck. Two Typhoons also struck three Daesh positions in Raqqa in support of the offensive by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (19) [ collapse]