Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1836

Incident date

November 15, 2018

Location

البوبدران, Al Boubadran, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.554886, 40.950379 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An alleged Coalition airstrike targeted a residential area and reportedly killed between eight and 23 civilians, in what local sources described as “a massacre”.

According to Sana News, 23 civilians died as a result of the airstrike. Step News  and Euphrates Post reported that a total of 20 people died. Step added that 17 belonged to the same family of Al Hamid al-Saleh Al Abdullah, of whom many were women and children.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights first reported 10 civilian deaths as a result of the strike, including four women. It later added that the death toll had risen to 18 and that all victims were of the same family, including 14 children and three women. Most other media sources reported similar numbers between 17 or 18 civilians of whom most were reported to be women and children of the same family.

Deir Ezzor 24 reported the lowest number of civilian casualties and put the death toll at eight.

Free Deir Ezzor Radio posted that several civilians were injured in addition to the family members who died. According to Step News, it was one female family member who survived.

According to Jisr TV, the family was displaced and had fled Coalition bombing and Kurdish militias on their border village in search of safety in the town of al Soussa.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (27)

Mahmoud Saleh Al-Abdullah
Adult male killed
Kaddifa Ali Al Khalaf
Age unknown killed
Samira Dideb al-Jassim
Age unknown killed
Hamid Saleh Al-Abdullah
Age unknown male killed
Warfa Aeef al-Azzawi
Age unknown killed
Khalfa Al  Hussein
Age unknown killed
Hamdan Saleh Al-Abdullah
Age unknown killed
Warda Ahmed Al-Hamad
Age unknown killed
Hamid Saleh Al Abdullah Abo Yusef
Age unknown male killed
Khalife Hussein Al-Qatta
Adult female killed
Maha Mohammed Al-Musleh
Adult female killed
Majida Hamid al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Amjad Hamid Al Saleh
Age unknown killed
Dunya Hamid al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Nadia Hamid al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Shadia Hamid al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Farah Hamid Al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Kafa Hamid Al Saleh
Age unknown killed
Mohammed Hamid Saleh
Age unknown male killed
Ayman Yousef  Hamid al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Yamen Yousef  Hamid Al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Amena Hamid Al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Iman Hamid Al-Saleh
Age unknown killed
Saleh Mahmoud Al Saleh Al - Abdullah
Child of Hamid al-Saleh
Child female killed
Entsar Aayef Al-Thayab
Adult female injured
Child of Hamid al-Saleh
Child male injured

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Al Boubadran (البوبدران) neighbourhood, in the north of Al Soussa (السوسة), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.554886, 40.950379. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 34.54233, 40.84554

  • Reports of the incident mention the Al Boubadran (البوبدران) neighbourhood, in the north of Al Soussa (السوسة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 23
  • (8–14 children3–4 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (42) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Photograph of Saleh Mahmoud Saleh, one of the victims of the alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Soussa on November 15th 2018, according to Deir Ezzor 24.
  • Victims of the alleged Coalition airstrike in Al Soussa on November 15th 2018, according to Jisir TV.
  • Victim of the alleged Coalition airstrike in Al Soussa on November 15th 2018, according to Jisir TV
  • Victims of the alleged Coalition airstrike in Al Soussa on November 15th 2018, according to Jisir TV
  • # URGENT | # ORGANIZATION OF THE [Islamic] STATE: 18 civilians, most of them children, were killed by raids of the coalition on the # Albaqouz countryside # Abu Kamal

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For November 15th-16th, the Coalition publicly reported: On Nov. 15 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 19 strikes consisting of 38 engagements against ISIS targets.
Near Hajin, 19 strikes destroyed five buildings, three supply routes, 11 fighting positions, two mortars, one weapons cache, and one command and control center.

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Thursday 15 November – Typhoons struck three Daesh positions in eastern Syria…Further assistance was rendered to the SDF on Thursday 15 November by a Typhoon flight, which bombed in turn three Daesh positions on the banks of the Euphrates, north-west of Hajin.’

Dutch Military
  • English
    /
    Original

For November 14th-20th 2018, the Dutch MoD reported that Dutch F-16’s supported ground troops in the fight against IS during 10 missions. Weapons were deployed during 3 missions above Deir Ezzor in Syria, targeting IS warehouses and fighting positions.

‘In het weekoverzicht van 14 t/m 20 November laat MinDef weten F-16’s te hebben ingezet tijdens 10 missies ter ondersteuning van grondtroepen in de strijd tegen IS. Bij 3 werden wapens ingezet, boven Deir al Zour in Syrie. Opslagplaatsen en gevechtsposities van IS zijn vernietigd.’

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

France report that from Nov 14th – 20th, Task Force Wagram conducted 64 firing missions – 47 ‘lighting’, 17 ‘destruction’. Aircraft carried out 18 sorties but there were no strikes.

‘CHAMMAL SITUATION MILITAIRE DU THEATRE Offensive contre les dernières poches de Daech en Syrie L’opération pour reprendre la poche d’Hajine dans la moyenne vallée de l’Euphrate, lancée le 10 septembre, marque actuellement un temps d’arrêt. Appuyées par la coalition, les forces démocratiques syriennes se réorganisent et consolident leurs positions avant de relancer leur offensive. Poursuite des actions de sécurisation en Irak En Irak, les opérations de sécurisation des forces de sécurité irakiennes (FSI) se poursuivent. Evitant le contact, Daech tente d’alimenter un sentiment d’insécurité par des actions clandestines ciblant indistinctement les FSI ou la population irakienne. ACTIVITE DE LA FORCE La Task Force Wagram en appui de l’offensive contre les dernières poches de Daech présentes dans la vallée de l’Euphrate La Task Force (TF) Wagram appuie l’offensive des forces démocratiques syriennes contre Daech dans la région d’Hajine. Elle a réalisé, depuis le territoire irakien, 64 missions de tir (47 éclairement, 17 destruction – bilan du 14 au 20 novembre inclus).’ Depuis le début de son engagement, la Task Force Wagram a réalisé 2165 missions de tirs.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 23
  • (8–14 children3–4 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (42) [ collapse]