Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS003

Incident date

September 26, 2014

Location

الحسكة, Al-Hasakah, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.5044792, 40.74354 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Syrian Martyrs website claimed that three named men were killed in a Coalition airstrike.

On its summary page Syrian Martyrs listed the trio as civilians. However, their individual pages describe them as fighters.

According to a video tribute, Akta’a was an opponent of the Assad regime who had also fought the Kurds in Syria’s chaotic civil war, and it appears unlikely he was a non-combatant: “One of the first to come out in peaceful protests in the town of Jissr Al Shoughour, he [Akta’a] fought the regime peacefully but he found that peaceful means with the regime do not work so he fought like a hero and he avenged the blood of the pure. He was victorious and with his own blessed blood he wrote history. The coming generations will remember his victories against the Kurdish forces loyal to the regime. He lived and died a free man. May God accept him.”

The Violations Documentation Center listed a fourth name, that of “non-civilian” Yasin Shaikh Mosa.

In July 2017 the Coalition classed the event as non credible, saying there was too little information for it to make a determination: “Sep. 26, 2014, near Al Hasakah, Syria, via Airwars report: After a review of available information it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male Listed by Syrian Martyrs killed
Age unknown male Listed by Syrian Martyrs killed
Age unknown male Listed by Syrian Martyrs killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "One of the first to come out in peaceful protests in the town of Jissr Al Shoughour. He fought the regime peacefully but he found that peaceful means with the regime do not work so he fought like a hero and he avenged the blood of the pure. He was victorious and with his own blessed blood he wrote history. The coming generations will remember his victories against the Kurdish forces loyal to the regime. He lived and died a free man. May God accept him." (via freejs11)
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
    a:1:{i:0;s:21:"insufficient_evidence";}
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Al Hasakah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

US and allied airstrikes were only officially reported as taking place around Dayr az Zawr on September 25th-26th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]