Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS033

Incident date

December 11, 2014

Location

مسكنة, Jirah Military Airbase, al Maskana, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.0962736, 37.9406834 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A shepherd boy aged 10, 14 or 15, and named as Muhammad Qasim (or sometimes Mohammed Abd al Kareem), was reportedly killed in a coalition airstrike on a nearby Islamic State military base.

An investigation by the Syrian Network for Human Rights later concluded: “Around 2:45 in the afternoon an international alliance warplane raided over Al-Jarrah military airbase located on Al-Maskaneh – Deir Hafr road in eastern Aleppo countryside, which is under ISIS command. The shelling of the airbase surroundings killed a shepherd who was a child.” According to the monitoring group the flock of sheep was owned by the boy’s brother, a member of Islamic State.

An eyewitness told SN4HR that he had visited the family immediately following the air strike: “The parents told me that the boy was sitting near one of the buildings that was targeted inside the airport, and which led to the injury of his head by shrapnel metal and that it almost entirely crushed his head. His parents then buried him in the village after they received the body from ISIS fighters who also lost fighters to death because of the raids, but I do not know the number.”

 

The incident occured at 14:45:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Child male Listed by Syrian Martyrs killed

Geolocation notes

The Syria Network for Human Rights reports that an alleged “Coalition aircraft bombed the Al-Jarah military airport and its surroundings with three missiles, which caused the death of a child who was sitting near one of the buildings that had been targeted within the airport.” The coordinates for the Jirah Military Airbase (الجيرة القاعدة الجوية) are: 36.0962736, 37.9406834

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

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
  • Stated location
    near Maskhanah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2018
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

One coalition event between December 10th-12th 2014 appears to match the incident: “Near Aleppo, an airstrike struck five ISIL-occupied buildings.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]