Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1156

Incident date

June 24, 2017

Location

منطقة مدرسة خديجة, Khadija School area, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.954112, 38.987886 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A civilian male was killed by Coalition airstrikes which hit his home in the Al Dar’iya neighbourhood of Raqqa, local sources reported. Two children who lived opposite the victim were also wounded in the raid. The alliance later accepted responsibility for the death.

The incident occurred between 12 and 1 pm, according to local media and Amnesty field-notes.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that he was wounded in an earlier strike in the Khadija school area on June 24th before being taken to an unknown medical facility.

Despite this, Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality” reported that “Isma’il Jurjub, 65, killed at his home, which was destroyed by an air strike. Met witnesses in building opposite, Nasreen (F) whose 2 children, Omar Ali Khalaf, 11, and Abdallah, 10, were injured in the strike.”

In addition to this, Nasreen told Amnesty International during their field research that, “He was at our house across the road, that morning, then he went home for Dhohr prayer and shortly after his home was bombed. My two children were both injured by shrapnel in the strike.”

Filed notes complied by Amnesty and shared with Airwars reported that “This was the only small house surrounded by tall buildings; direct hit on the house.”

The three remaining sources reporting his death alleged that the Coalition was responsible.

On August 30th 2018 the Coalition confirmed responsibility for the event. “(1.) July 4, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. During a strike on Daesh fighting positions and Daesh VBIED facility, one civilian was unintentionally killed.” The Coalition assigned the incident to the 4th July, when Ismail al Jarjab is reported to have died. Airwars has assigned both 4th July and 24th June – when Ismail was injured – to the incident. It is unclear if Ismail died on the 4th July from his existing injures, or from a second strike. The Coalition later supplied Airwars with the military grid reference for the strike, accurate to within a 100 metre box.

The Amnesty report claimed the victim was killed on the 24th of June – this is collaborated by a witnesses testimony – despite the Coalition reporting that the strike was on the 4th July. It remains unclear when the victim died.

The incident occured at 12:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

65 years old male killed
11 years old male child of witness Nasreen injured
10 years old male child of witness Nasreen injured

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

The precise location as reported by Amnesty International field-notes reported an unmarked building was struck. This was the only small house surrounded by tall buildings and it was direct hit on the house.

  • Before strike. (via Amnesty)

  • After strike. (via Amnesty)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Haj Ismail Issa al-Jarjab, killed in an alleged Coalition raid which directly struck his home, 24th June 2017. (via RBSS)
  • Haj Ismail Issa al-Jarjab, killed in an alleged Coalition raid which directly struck his home, 24th June 2017. (via Amnesty)
  • House of Ismail Jurjub. (via Amnesty)
  • Near the house of Ismail Jurjub. (via Amnesty)
  • Haj Ismail Issa al-Jarjab, killed in an alleged Coalition raid which directly struck his home, 24th June 2017. (via Amnesty)
  • Near the house of Ismail Jurjub. (via Amnesty)

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
    1
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV988789
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 30, 2018
  • July 4, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. During a strike on Daesh fighting positions and Daesh VBIED facility, one civilian was unintentionally killed.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 3rd – 4th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 15 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, three mortar systems, two sections of wall, two vehicles, an anti-air artillery system, a heavy machine gun, and an explosives cache; damaged five ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

It additionally reported that “On July 3, near Raqqah, Syria, 12 strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; and destroyed 10 fighting positions, a VBIED, an anti-air artillery system, and a UAS launch site; damaged 25 fighting positions; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

And that “On July 3, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed eight ISIS fighting positions and a VBIED factory and damaged 10 fighting positions.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]