Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1611

Incident date

September 27–29, 2017

Location

Ar Raqqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.961504, 39.009922 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In Raqqa, at least 28 and as many as 42 civilians from seven families displaced from Palmyra, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa were killed as an alleged Coalition air strike destroyed the building they were sheltering in, multiple local and international media reported. Among the killed were at least ten women and five children.

This strike only came a week after a similar strike near the Maari School, which killed at least 32 civilians, Amnesty International reported. That incident is described in CS1527.

This strike, that hit another building south of the Maari School, was initially reported in four separate incidents dated between October 8th and 9th. However, field research by Amnesty International, who spoke to a relative of the victims named Maha reported that they were all killed in the same event, that happened between September 27th and 29th.

While Amnesty’s field research reported 28 victims, the total death toll reached 42, as per other, local sources’ reports. However, most of the identified victims were reported by both Amnesty and local sources.

In July 2019 the Coalition announced that it had assessed this allegation of civilian harm to be non-credible. Their monthly civilian casualty report noted: “After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.”

Initially reported in CS1611, local sources said how seven to nine civilians, displaced persons from Palymra, died in Raqqah city from alleged Coalition airstrikes, as they were sheltering in a building. These deaths were reported on October 11th, though the incident was said to have taken place “several days ago.” A girl named as Ghazal Ahmed Obaid Taha had reportedly “survived a previous massacre one month ago which injured her and killed her entire family, and she is now martyred in this massacre”.

It should be noted that in the Amnesty and Airwars joint report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric Versus Reality” it was reported that both Najah Abderrazzaq Hammada and Abderrazzaq Ali Taha died on 25th September on the other airstrike near Al Ma’ari school that happened earlier. Their names were initially linked to this strike between the 27th and 29th of September, but they have therefore been removed from the incident. See CS1527 for details on their deaths.

In a single-source case, initially coded CS1608, Palmyra Revolutionary Committee reported the deaths of three family members following “bombing” on Raqqah on October 8th. The source named the following: “The wife of the martyr Abdul Aziz Al-Saeed and the martyrdom of her children: Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al-Saeed and Ghani Abdul Aziz Al-Saeed in the bombing that targeted an entire neighbourhood housing a large number of displaced people from the city of Palmyra in Raqqa and killed dozens of martyrs”. Their deaths were also echoed in the field work by Amnesty in early 2019. However, Amnesty added that Ghani Abdul Aziz’ three-month-old son also was killed.

On October 9th, initially reported in CS1616, Palmyra Revolutionary Committee reported the death of “the wife of Reham Awad Al-Abdullah and the child Fatima Bahaa Al Din”. The source blamed the Coalition. According to Amnesty’s field research, a 20-year old woman from the “Bahieddine family” and her five-month-old daughter died in the strike. They are most likely the same two victims as reported by Palmyra Revolutionary Committee, their names are reported separately below.

Moreover, on October 8th, initially reported in CS1607, various sources reported that ten displaced persons from Palmyra died in alleged US-led Coalition airstrikes on Raqqah city, whilst sitting inside their house in the city. All sources blamed the US-led Coalition. Among the ten reported victims, these sources mentioned a so-called “Mohammad Qassem Abu Ahmed” and his wife Sabah. These names correspond with Amnesty’s field research, which, however, added that besides from Mohammed and his wife, another 12 family members were killed, including Mohammed’s parents, his five sons and one daughter and wives and children of two of the sons.

All sources in the total of four cases above, are now merged into one, as the Amnesty fieldwork pointed out that the civilian deaths reported in these 4 cases were all the result of one strike, allegedly carried out by the Coalition.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Adult female mother of Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al-Saeed killed
22 years old son
Age unknown female daughter of Rajha al-Mahmoud al-Ahmad
Son of Ghani Abdul Aziz Al-Saeed
3 months years old male killed

Family members (2)

Child female killed

Family members (14)

Mohammed Qassem Abu Ahmed/Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male Husband killed
Sabah Abdullah Abu Ahmed
Adult female Wife killed
Mother of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult female killed
Father of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Wife of son Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult female killed
Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Wife of son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult female killed
Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Daughter of Son of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Child female killed
Nephew of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed
Nephew of Mohammed Ahmad Abu Ahmad
Adult male killed

Family members (2)

Woman from Bahieddine family
20 years old female killed
Child of Woman from Bahieddine family
five months years old female killed

Family members (8)

Louay Mohammed Abu Ahmed
Adult male husband killed
Maha Humaidan
Adult female wife killed
Raghad Louay Mohammed Qassem Abu Ahmed
Age unknown female daughter killed
Mohamed Louay Mohamed Qassem Abu Ahmed
Age unknown male son of Louay and Maha killed
Wael Louay Mohamed Qassem Abu Ahmed
Age unknown male son of Louay and Maha killed
Maal Al-Sham Luai Mohammed Qassem Abu Ahmed
Age unknown female daughter of Louay and Maha killed
Fadi Louay Mohammed Qassem Abu Ahmed
Age unknown male son of Louay and Maha
Fadi Mohammed Abu Ahmed
Age unknown male killed

Family members (6)

Mahmoud Hassan Taha
50 years old male Abed's uncle (brother of father) killed
Abed Mohammed Hassan Taha
40 years old male killed
Faiza Ahmad Taha
40 years old female Abed's wife killed
Ahmad Hassan Taha
21 years old male Abed's son killed
Mahmud Hassan Taha
15 years old male Abed's son killed
Riham Hassan Taha
20 years old female Abed's daughter

Family members (2)

Jihad Hassan al-Mrawah
45 years old male killed
Hassan Mohammed al-Mrawah
65 years old father of Jihad Hassan al-Mrawah

The victims were named as:

Aziza Abd Taha
Age unknown female killed
Ala ‘Ali Taha
Age unknown female killed
Abdul Razzaq Ali Taha
Age unknown male killed
Ghazal Ahmed Obaid Taha
Age unknown female killed

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

  • The destroyed building seen on satellite imagery before the strike (September 20, 2017)

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

  • The destroyed building seen on satellite imagery after the strike (September 29, 2017)

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    28 – 42
  • (5–11 children9–10 women6–13 men)
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The building near Maari School where at least 28 people were killed, seen in January 2019 (via Amnesty International)
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
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV009797
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2019
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility

  • Sep. 27, 2017, in Raqqa, Syria, via Amnesty International report. After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 8th – 9th the Coalition reported “Near Raqqah, 24 strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed 15 fighting positions, 11 vehicles, one VBIED, one machine gun, and four command and control networks.” It additionally reported that “Near Raqqah, 2 strikes damaged an ISIS fighting position; and disrupted a line of communication.”

For October 9th – 10th the Coalition reported No strikes in Raqqah.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    28 – 42
  • (5–11 children9–10 women6–13 men)
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]