Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1948

Incident date

June 24, 2020

Location

الطريق بين بنش ادلب, Road between Idlib and Binnish, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.948631, 36.672105 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A civilian was reportedly killed in alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish drone strikes on the road between Idlib city and Binnish, Idlib governorate, on June 24th, 2020, according to local sources.

The Syrian Civil Defence in Idlib told Smart New Agency that “an ammunition drone had targeted a Santa Fe car with missiles and destroyed it completely, indicating the death of an unidentified person inside.” The SCD added that another unidentified person, thought to be a civilian, was killed as he was riding his motorbike in the vicinity of the explosion. SCD teams worked to extinguish the fire and collected the human remains.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “a civilian on a motorcycle was killed near the site where a drone targeted a military vehicle driven by a commander in the Ethbatu operations room on the road between Idlib and Binish. The attack killed the commander instantly.”

While the SOHR initially reported that the US-Coalition had likely been responsible, it later wrote that “sources suggested that the drone that targeted the commander was Turkish, while a Coalition drone was flying over Idlib coinciding with the attack.”

Smart News Agency and @HoseenAdnan reported that the killed militant was Abu Adnan Al Homsi from the Al Qaida linked group Hurras Al Din.

In the third of their September 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck on a road between Idlib (إدلب‎) and Binnish (بنش) to the east. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates between these two points are: 35.948631, 36.672105.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck on a road between Idlib (إدلب‎) and Binnish (بنش) to the east.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers putting out fire after alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish airstrikes on a vehicle in Idlib governorate on June 24th, 2020 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers extinguishing fire after alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish airstrikes in Idlib governorate on June 24th, 2020 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • Syrian Civil Defence volunteers recovering human remains after alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish airstrikes in Idlib governorate on June 24th, 2020 (via SCD on Facebook).
  • Translation: "A circular image of a car that was targeted by an airline belonging to the International Alliance on the road between Idlib and Binnish" (via @moha7_othman).
  • The destroyed vehicle after alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish drone strike on the road between Idlib city and Binnish on June 24th, 2020 (via @moha7_othman).
  • Militant Abu Adnan Al Homsi was reportedly killed in alleged US-led Coalition or Turkish drone strikes on the road between Idlib and Binnish on June 24th, 2020 (via @HoseenAdnan).
  • Translation: "We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return..! Bleed to the Muslim Ummah The news of the martyrdom of the administrative Mujahid brother in the organization of Guardians of religion Abu Adnan Al Homsi, after he was targeted by a raid from an American crusader plane on the road to the city of Bunche in Idlib countryside and God is the helper. Oh God, accept him in the martyrs and raise his rank in the Gardens of Mole" (via @HoseenAdnan).

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
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SBV900807
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 14, 2020
  • Jun. 24, 2020, in Idlib, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3202/CS1948 37SBV900807

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (5) [ collapse]