Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1320

Incident date

August 2, 2017

Location

مشفى عائشة البوكمال, Abu Kamal, Aisha Hospital, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.46068, 40.907956 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three people were killed and several more wounded in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the cafeteria of Aisha hospital in Abu Kamal, according to local media.

Sources were conflicted as to whether the three victims were members of ISIS or civilians.

Euphrates Post, Shaam and Shbab Post said that they were from ISIS, but sources including Syrian Free Army and Jisrtv claimed they were civilians.

According to AlBoukmal-Mary: “The warplane, which is believed to belong to the International Coalition ,targeted the cafeteria at Aisha hospital leading to three deaths. Two of the victims were Iraqi and one was from the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.”

Free Deir Ezzor and Sound and Picture added that a number of civilians were wounded in the strike.

The incident was first reported on August 2, 2017 at 4:57 pm by @soundandpic.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the cafetaria of Aisha hospital (مشفى عائشة) in the city of Bukamal (البوكمال), Deir Ezzor governorate. The coordinates for Aisha hospital are: 34.46068, 40.907956  

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 3
  • 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Abu Kamal, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 31, 2018
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For August 2nd-3rd it reportedf that “Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed three ISIS oil storage tanks, three well-heads, an oil pump, and a front-end loader.” It additionally reported that “On Aug. 2, near Abu Kamal, Syria, two strikes destroyed an ISIS IED factory and two oil stills.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 3
  • 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]