Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1568

Incident date

October 3, 2017

Location

البدو, Badu, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.96095, 39.006375 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Initially the death of one civilian male was reported in this incident: a doctor named Alaa El Din Hassan Hamam died in Raqqah city following US-led Coalition airstrikes, local sources said. According to a report by Al Rafed, Dr. Alaa El Din Hassan Hamam provided medical assistance for the injured in Raqqah until he died. His brother told Al Rafed: “He and his wife were in the last period providing first aid and dressing and stitching the wounded and injured in their homes according to the available possibilities because of the situation in Raqqah and was trying to bury the martyrs who are the result of artillery shelling and air and the young people with values in the city.” He was unable to be buried as his family fled the city after the airstrike that killed him, his brother added – “Unfortunately they left Al-Raqqa without burying my brother or seeing his body.” All sources blamed the US-led Coalition for his death.

During investigations of this event for the April 2019 joint Airwars and Amnesty report War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality (www.raqqa.amnesty.org), Amnesty field researchers found that 6 other people were killed in this strike. 5 of them were members of the Al Aalu family, who were injured in an earlier strike (more information on that incident here: CS1570), they had fled to the building and were receiving treatment from the doctor. Abu Hamed, a relative and owner of the house together with AbdelMin’aam, told Amnesty researchers about the family: “They had been displaced by the war and were staying in our house. The three elderly people had been injured in a strike elsewhere and the doctor had come to treat them. They were all killed when our house was bombed.”

One invididual, Mohammed AbdelMin’aam al-Hmaidi, brother of the testifying relative Abu Hamed, was reported killed in a separate incident together with his father: CS1602. Airwars has merged these 2 incident under this code, as Amnesty research has found that they were killed in the same strike as Dr. Alaa El Din Hassan Hamam and the Al Aalu family, which would bring the total number of people killed in this strike to 8. The original Airwars report (CS1602) for their deaths read as follows:

“Local media reported that Mohammed Abdel Moneim Al-Humaidi died and his father Abdel-Moneim Al-Humaidi was injured following alleged US-led Coalition airstrikes on Raqqah. There was limited information due to only three reports on the incident. Two of three sources attributed the loss of civilian life to US-led Coalition strikes, while the remaining source Marsad Al Hasaka referred only to “bombing”. The two deaths are also mentioned in event CS1594, with some sources claiming the event occurred a day earlier.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Abbud Al-Aalu
77 years old male killed
Hamida Al-Aalu
70+ years old female Abbud's sister killed
Mohammed Al-Aalu
79 years old male Abbud's brother killed
Aisha Al-Aalu
35 years old female pregnant Abbud's niece killed
Omar Al-Aalu
30 years old male Abbud's nephew (Mohammed's son) killed

The victims were named as:

Mohammed AbdelMin’aam al-Hmaidi
25 years old brother of Abu Hamed killed
Abdel-Moneim Al-Humaidi
Adult male father of Mohammed AbdelMin’aam al-Hmaidi killed
Dr. Alaa El Din Hassan Hamam
40 years old male killed

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the house of Abdel-Moneim Al Hamidi, for which due to limited information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. However, reports mention the neighbourhood of Al Badou (البدو), for which the coordinates are: 35.961778, 39.006083. Amnesty’s field research for the April 2019 joint report with Airwars (War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality) eventually pointed to the exact location: 35.96095, 39.006375.

  • Before the strike on September 29, 2017

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

  • After the strike on October 10, 2017

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 8
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Pictures of the Dr. Alaa El Din Hassan Hamam and the aftermath of the attack
  • Another picture of the victim (via Marsad Al Hasaka)
  • Another image of the victim

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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al Badou, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 2nd – 3rd the Coalition reported “Near Raqqah, six strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions and three ISIS supply routes.” It additionally reported that “On Oct. 2, near Raqqah, 23 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units, destroyed nine fighting positions and damaged five fighting positions.” And that “On Oct. 2, Near Raqqah, 10 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 8
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]