Conflict

U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

CS1318

Location

مدرسة سيف الدولة, Ar Raqqah: Near Saif Al Dawla school, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.93955, 39.01868
Accuracy: Exact location (via Airwars)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S1155)

Ten civilians died including different generations of the same family in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa.

All sources pointed towards the Coalition carrying out an air or artillery strike. Airwars understands that only the Coalition has access to artillery in Raqqa.

The date has been changed due to further Amnesty field research confirming the date to be July 13th.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, it “managed to document the death of seven citizens. They include a man, two of his sons, his daughter and his grandson, as a result of the strikes carried out by warplanes of the International Coalition.”

In the Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality”, it was reported that “A double airstrike killed six members of the Shabshoul family and four of their neighbours. The first strike killed Noora Shabshoul and her 1-year-old son and a neighbour. The second strike killed four other family members and three neighbours who had rushed over to rescue the victims of the first Strike.”

Randa, the mother, gave a testimony to Amnesty stating that “We were in our home, 16 of us, the whole family. Didn’t the surveillance planes see that this was a house full of civilians? And why did they bomb again when neighbours came to help after the first bombing?”

Victims

Family members (6)

61 years old male husband of interviewee killed
21 years old female daughter of Abdul killed
20 years old male son of Abdul killed
19 years old male son of Abdul killed
15 years old male son of Abdul killed
1 years old male grandson of Abdul killed

Family members (4)

45 years old male neighbours who came to help after first strike killed
20 years old neighbours who came to help after first strike killed
28 years old male neighbours who came to help after first strike killed
18 years old male lived in the house opposite, neighbours who came to help after first strike killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Civilians reported killed
10
2 Children, 1 Woman, 7 Men

Geolocation Notes

Building that was destroyed just before the strike on July 6, 2017

Imagery: Amnesty International

Building that was destroyed just after the strike on July 19, 2017

Imagery: Amnesty International

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
Insufficient information on the time and location
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
near Raqqah, Syria
Location accuracy
100 m
MGRS coordinate
37SEV025784
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For August 2nd-3rd: “Near Raqqah, 14 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed nine fighting positions, two vehicles, a supply cache, a VBIED, a mortar position, an ISIS UAS site, and a generator.” It additionally reported that “On Aug. 2, near Raqqah, Syria, 20 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two supply caches, a tactical vehicle, a tunnel, a VBIED factory, and a command and control node.”
UK Military Strike Report
‘Wednesday 2 August – Typhoons destroyed a Daesh strongpoint in Raqqa…Typhoons provided further close air support to the SDF on Wednesday 2 August; they found themselves coming under sustained heavy machine-gun and sniper fire from a building in Raqqa, but were able to pinpoint the Daesh position, allowing our aircraft to attack with a Paveway IV.’
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2018-05-31
Original Source
The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Media From Sources (9)