Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1634

Incident date

October 8, 2017

Location

Ar Raqqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.951883, 39.022188 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Fourteen civilians were allegedly killed on the 8th of October by Coalition airstrikes near the Old Mosque in Raqqa.

On December 14th, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported “the bodies of the martyrs Mohammed Hassan Aarouni and Alaa Mohammed Aarouni were found with his family and Ibrahim Mohammed Aarouni and his family under the rubble in the city of Raqqa after they died as a result of an air strike carried out by coalition aircraft during the control campaign several months ago.”

It was unclear at what point during the Raqqa campaign that the victims died.

Since this reportage Amnesty International has conducted on the ground field research which suggested the airstrike occurred on the 8th. However, on 2017/07/07-2017/07/19 no new visible damage was seen via Google Earth on this specific date. The date needs further research.

Amnesty research specified that Ala’Eddine Mohammed Aarouni, his wife Aisha, and their two sons Dia’ and Ziad were killed at 12.30 pm in their home. It was described by Amnesty as a four story building where the family lived on they were on the second floor. The building was building not destroyed; only struck flat.

The building was – according to Amnesty – struck by a missile.

Mohammad, the son of a victim told Amnesty in a testimony that “My father and his wife were hosting my aunt, who is blind and and my uncle and his family. The missile targeted their apartment. The building was not destroyed. I can’t understand why my family was targeted.”

Ten others were killed with the family, and are named below.

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.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members

Family members (12)

44 years old male teacher killed
35 years old female his wife killed
1 years old male son of Ala’Eddine killed
1 month years old male son of Ala’Eddine killed
50 years old female blind killed
40 years old male killed
30s years old female Ibrahim's wife killed
6 years old female child of Fatima and Ibrahim killed
7 years old female child of Fatima and Ibrahim killed
2 years old female child of Fatima and Ibrahim killed
10 years old male child of Fatima and Ibrahim killed
8 years old male child of Fatima and Ibrahim killed

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Hassan Aarouni
Age unknown male not named by Amnesty but most likely related killed

Geolocation notes

Building struck, however no visible damage around the date specified by Amnesty International.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (7 children3 women2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
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
  • Stated location
    in Raqqa, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV020786
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2019
  • Oct. 8, 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

"No coalition actions".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (7 children3 women2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition