Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS048

Incident date

January 29, 2015

Location

الطيانة, Eastern Al Buwaida or Kobane, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.993798, 40.548059 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A non-combatant civilian male, Abd Al Rahman Ahmad Bkar, from the town of Al Kussair near Homs was reported killed in an airstrike.

While Syrian Martyrs attributed the strike to the Coalition, VDC blamed the Assad regime. Other reports were unclear. The location of the man’s death was also confused, given variously as Kobane in Aleppo governorate, or eastern al Buwaida, near Homs.

In its monthly civilian casualty report for October 2019 – published on December 5th of that year, the Coalition assessed the event as ‘non credible’, noting that “January 29, 2015, in Tayyani, Syria, via Airwars report. The allegation provided insufficient detail to identify a specific date, time, or location to search for corroborating Coalition action. 2794/CS048 37SFU413734”

Coalition officials also provided Airwars with a geolocation to within 100 metres of the area reviewed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male He is originally from al Buwaida al Sharqiya in Homs, reported killed in Kobani, Aleppo according to VDC in regime shelling killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Eastern Al Buwaida or Kobane (الطيانة), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.993798, 40.548059. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    in Tayyani, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU413734
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • January 29, 2015, in Tayyani, Syria, via Airwars report. The allegation provided insufficient detail to identify a specific date, time, or location to search for corroborating Coalition action. 2794/CS048 37SFU413734

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

Five coalition airstrikes are confirmed for the vicinity of Kobane for January 28th-29th 2015: “Near Kobani, five airstrikes struck an ISIL fighting position, three ISIL tactical units, and a large ISIL unit.” An additional two strikes are confirmed for January 29th-30th: “Near Kobani, two airstrikes struck two ISIL staging positions and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and one ISIL vehicle.”

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS