Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1112 RS2308

Incident date

June 28, 2017

Location

Al Lattoum village, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.730327, 36.719055 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child died and several members of his family were injured in an airstrike on Al Lattoum village, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to whether this was the work of the US-led Coalition (against which there was just one allegation), Russia or the Syrian regime.

Alsoukhnaalhadath reported the death of a male child, as a result of the “targeting of the house of his sister in Lattoum by the international criminal coalition. His sister was moderately injured in the leg and was taken to the hospital.”

However, other sources blamed Russia. According to Palmyra Media Centre, “several members” of the child’s family were also wounded in the alleged Russian strike.
Insaan Rights Watch blamed the regime, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights pointed to “Syrian-Russian Alliance forces”.

In their June 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

6 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Muhammad Hassan al-Salloum, 6 years old, killed in an alleged Russian, Syrian regime and Coalition airstrike on Al Lattoum, 28th June 2017. (via Alsoukhnaalhadath)
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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDU930786
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020
  • June 28, 2017, in Al Latum, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3116/CS1112 37SDU930786

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between June 1st – 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]