Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1149

Incident date

July 3, 2017

Location

حي الدرعية, Al Dar'ia, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.946194, 38.985167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Street level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilian brothers were killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes on the Dar’iya neighbourhood of Raqqa, local sources reported. Initially, the strike was reported to have taken place in the Al Badou neighbourhood, but Q_Alenzy corrected this the following day: “Martyrs of the family “Al-Ward” who were martyred by an air strike of the coalition before yesterday in the neighbourhood of Dar’iya and not in the Badou neighbourhood.”

Other sources who reported the deaths alleged that the Coalition was responsible.

Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report War in Raqqa: “Rhetoric versus Reality” also reported, based on field research, that an alleged coalition artillery strike had killed the three brothers.

Amnesty’s researchers gained a testimony from the fourth brother, Abbud, who was quoted saying “My three brothers were killed; why? There is no reason; the shelling was random.”

In April 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting: “After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

26 years old male killed
20-21 years old male killed
18 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (12) [ 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
    Other
  • Stated location
    near al-Bado neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV987796
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 25, 2019
  • July 3, 2017, near al-Bado neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 2nd – 3rd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 14 strikes engaged 13 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 10 fighting positions and a mortar system.”

It additionally reported that “On July 2, near Raqqah, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two VBIEDs, an ISIS communications tower, and a fighting position; and damaged 32 fighting positions.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Two Royal Air Force Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducted armed reconnaissance over Raqqa on Monday 3 July. One assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who had come under attack from a heavy machine-gun on the top floor of a building. A Hellfire missile through the building’s roof silenced the terrorist fire. The second Reaper used two Hellfires in a successful attack on a Daesh headquarters for foreign fighters. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair were also active over the city. The SDF, advancing into the centre of Raqqa, encountered a strongly defended building. Our aircraft demolished it with a single Paveway IV guided bomb.'

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (12) [ collapse]