Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1596

Incident date

October 8, 2017

Location

التوسعية, Ar Raqqah: Tawwassoui'ya neighbourhood, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.959225, 39.002158 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as 26 civilians were killed, including a family of six, in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqah’s Al Tawsuya neighbourhood, according to local media. Despite initial uncertainty of the date, Amnesty reported that the strike occurred on the 8th October 2017. 

In a private message to Airwars, RBSS said the victims died on October 6th. On October 14th, the Syrian Human Rights Committee also named Hamed Obeid Al-Nasser, Hamam Hamid Obaid Al-Nasser and Hamida Abdo Noufal as killed in Coalition bombing, though reporting that the they died on October 13th.

Despite this, on 8th October “At least 26 people, including at least 11 children and five women, were killed by an air strike which destroyed the building they were sheltering in.”

The owner of Qunaitir Building, Ali, told Amnesty International in a testimony that “The victims were all displaced residents who had been forced to flee their homes. They were all sheltering in the basement, but unfortunately it was not enough to protect them.”

He added to his testimony later that “Only the four kids died in this strike and that Aziza Obeida al-Nasser died a month earlier and he buried her in nearby garden. Aziza’s husband disappeared when he went back home to get stuff near Mafraq al-Jezra. One daughter, child, of Aziza survived.”

Seven members of the of Abu Ali al Bariachi family were also killed in the strike. The daughter survived but it is unclear where she went.

In their original assessment of the incident, the Coalition deemed the incident non-credible on the grounds that “The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility” in June 2018. In a second review of the incident on March 10, 2022 in the CJTF-OIR Civilian Casualty Report, the Coalition reported this incident to be “non-credible”, stating that “After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

The incident occured at 17:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (7)

57 years old male (Abu Ala’) killed
50 years old female Hamed's wife killed
9 years old male Hamed and Hamida's son killed
10 years old female child of of Aziza Obeida al-Nasser (Hamed’s sister) killed
6 years old female child of of Aziza Obeida al-Nasser (Hamed’s sister) killed
8 years old male child of of Aziza Obeida al-Nasser (Hamed’s sister) killed
4 years old male child of of Aziza Obeida al-Nasser (Hamed’s sister) killed

Family members (6)

45 years old male killed
42 years old female Moh's wife killed
15 years old female Moh and Shadia's child killed
17 years old male Moh and Shadia's child killed
11 years old male Moh and Shadia's child killed
10 years old male paralysed, Moh and Shadia's child injured

Family members (3)

48 years old male killed
52 years old male Abdelkhalaq's brother killed
46 years old male killed

Family members (3)

Adult female one of her sons was mentally disabled killed
12 years old male killed
6 years old male killed

The victims were named as:

42 years old male killed
17-18 years old male killed

Geolocation notes

Initial reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Tawassiya (التوسعیة) in the city of Raqqa. The generic coordinates for this neighbourhood are: 35.9633318, 38.9806321. The incident likely occurred in the South East of Al Tawassiya (التوسعیة) area, as this is where the fighting was concentrated at the time. In a more recent Amnesty findings it was reported that Qunaitir Building was struck, Between 20/17/09/29 and 2017/10/10 only some damage can be seen to the building. By 2017/10/05 to 2017/10/10 clear damage can be seen. Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 35.95922, 39.00215

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    26
  • (11 children5 women10 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Abdul khaliq Al-Abaka, a victim of alleged US-led Coalition strikes on the city of Raqqah, 8th October 2017. (via RBSS)
  • Mohammed Anwar al-Jabeen, his wife and four children, victims of alleged US-led Coalition strikes on the city of Raqqah, 8th October 2017.
  • Mohammed Anwar al-Jabeen, ictim of alleged US-led Coalition strikes on the city of Raqqah, 8th October 2017.
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
    Insufficient information on the time and location, Other
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV0019479425
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 10, 2022
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility

  • Oct. 8, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Amnesty International report. After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 2713/CS1596 37SEV0019479425

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

Awaiting exact date

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    26
  • (11 children5 women10 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]