Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1338

Incident date

August 6, 2017

Location

بلدة الكشكية, Kashkiyah, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.81, 40.694722 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Over one hundred child soldiers were killed in an alleged US-led Coalition strike on a training camp of the so-called Islamic State organisation, according to multiple sources.

A report by Euphrates Post said, “The coalition warplanes attacked an [ISIS] camp in the town of al-Kashkiya in al-Sha’atiyat district, on the house of Rahim al Thalaj al-Mustapha and its environs, where members of the organization had turned the place into a training camp for the cubs of the caliphate, the children of Asian immigrants’, the report continues, ‘…the raid was focused on the house, where a large number of cubs of different nationalities are present’.

Furat Post covering events in the city said that Islamic State had not commented on any of the report’s released and had not confirmed the authenticity of this alleged massacre.

All sources obtained attributed the airstrike to the US-led Coalition.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incidents mention the town of Al-Kashkiya (الكشكية), Deir Ezzor governorate, for which the coordinates are: 34.81, 40.694722.  

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 100
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ 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 Kashkiyah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU536546
    Military Grid Reference System

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 6th-7th the Coalition have reported “Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike destroyed eight ISIS well-heads, a excavator, a crane, and a vehicle.”

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • For August 3rd-9th, France report 1 strike in Iraq and 1 in Syria, along with 9 artillery strikes in Mosul. (via EtatMajorFR)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 100
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]