Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1372b

Incident date

August 14, 2017

Location

al-Badu, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.962051, 39.008298 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In this single-source event, a family of five, including two children and one woman, were killed as alleged Coalition airstrike hit a house in which the family had sought shelter in, in al-Badu, Raqqa, Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality, reported.

Amnesty’s field researcher reported that the family was internally displaced from elsewhere in the city. They left their own home when artillery shells struck the house and went to shelter in another house, and then another house and then another house and then this house. Several other relatives, including the two children’s parent, survived.

However, it should be noted that local sources mentioned that two of the victims, Sinjar Fares Hassan and Maha al-Nasser, were killed on September 12th, 2017 instead of August 14th. Though, Airwars assess that it is most likely that they were killed on the first reported day, August 14th.

However, it appears that some of their relatives were killed on September 12th, also in al-Badu, Raqqa (see CS1474).

The event is graded ‘weak’ despite several reports about civilian harm, especially the deaths of Sinjar and Maha. However, it is only the joint Amnesty and Airwars report that reports that the deaths took place on August 14th, 2017.

The incident occured at 16:15:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

45 years old male killed
8 years old male nephew of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
6 years old male nephew of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
40 years old male uncle of of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
40 years old female cousin of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • The remains of the house that was truck by alleged Coalition strikes, al-Badu, Raqqa, August 14th (via Amnesty and Airwars’s report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality)
  • Bassem, one of the survivors, show were he has buried his family members who died in an alleged Coalition airstrike in al-Badu, Raqqa, August 14th, 2017 (via The remains of the house that was truck by alleged Coalition strikes, al-Badu, Raqqa, August 14th (via Amnesty and Airwars’s report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality)
  • Image taken inside the house after it was struck by alleged Coalition airstrikes, al-Badu, Raqqa, August 14th, 2017 The remains of the house that was truck by alleged Coalition strikes, al-Badu, Raqqa, August 14th (via Amnesty and Airwars’s report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality)
  • Via Amnesty International

US-led Coalition Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Monday 14 August – Tornados and Typhoons struck five Daesh targets in Raqqa, and a truck-bomb command post in eastern Syria…A flight Typhoons destroyed a Daesh position in Raqqa on Monday 14 August with Paveway IVs. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair also patrolled over the city and they conducted Paveway IV attacks, which destroyed a sniper team and two machine-guns. The aircraft moved off towards the east of Syria, where a command post that was controlling truck-bomb attacks had been identified 40 miles south of Al Hasakah. This was destroyed with a further Paveway.’

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

For Aug 9-15th, France report 2 strikes in Raqqah, Syria – and 13 artillery missions in Mosul.

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

In the past week, (11th-18th) France conducted 27 sorties, including 22 armed reconnaissance and ground support (CAS), 1 refueling outlet and 4 intelligence gathering sorties by Atlantic 2 or Rafale patrols. Two strikes were carried out in the Raqqah region of Syria. They helped support the Syrian democratic forces in their offensive to retake the city.

OPÉRATION CHAMMAL SITUATION En Syrie, A Raqqah, la progression des forces démocratiques syriennes se poursuit. Au sud de la ville, la manœuvre de tenaille, amorcée il y a 15 jours, s’est achevée en fin de semaine dernière. Elle a permis de réaliser la jonction des fronts est et ouest. Depuis, les forces démocratiques syriennes ont relancé une offensive vers le centre de la ville mais elles font face à une défense acharnée des combattants de Daech. En Irak, Les forces de sécurité irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations dans l’objectif de libérer, à terme, le nord de l’Irak. Actuellement, elles focalisent leur effort sur l’encerclement de la ville de Tall Afar. Les combattants de l’organisation terroriste réalisent un travail de valorisation de leurs positions défensives pour se préparer aux combats à venir alors que les populations tentent de fuir la ville. ACTIVITÉS DE LA FORCE Les soldats de l’opération Chammal poursuive leur mission d’appui au profit des unités irakiennes engagées contre Daech. Cette semaine, sur le théâtre, les aéronefs ont réalisé 27 sorties aériennes dont 22 de reconnaissance armée et d’appui au sol (CAS), 1 sortie de ravitaillement ainsi que 4 sorties de recueil de renseignement par Atlantique 2 ou patrouille de Rafale. Deux frappes ont été conduites dans la région de Raqqah en Syrie. Elles ont permis d’appuyer les forces démocratiques syriennes dans leur offensive pour reprendre la ville. La Task Force (TF) Wagram a mené de son côté 13 missions de tir en appui de la 15e division à l’ouest de Mossoul vers Tal Afar. En particulier, les artilleurs ont fourni des feux de harcèlement et d’éclairement pour interdire aux combattants de Daech de mener des actions au sol ou de réaliser des tirs indirects contre les positions irakiennes. Le bilan global de l’activité aérienne depuis le 19 septembre 2014 s’élève 1330 frappes, 2102 objectifs détruits et 6946 sorties. ‘

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition