Incident Code

CS066

Location

الغرة, Al-Gharah, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.4506988, 40.2984953
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S65)

A 65-year old man was killed in an alleged Coalition strike according to two separate investigations by international news organisations.

According to his son Ahmed, Mr Hassan was walking to work in his village when shrapnel from a Coalition strike punctured his heart and leg and killed him: “He didn’t support any group,” Hassan told the Buzzfeed news site by phone from southern Turkey. “He just wanted to work and take care of his family.”

A separate investigation by the Global Post gives a detailed description of the reported lethal strike: “The first bomb fell on that road [to Hassakah] between 10 and 11 in the morning on May 6. Then a plane started circling over the village. People were afraid to stay in their homes. They ran into the open. Al Hassan’s father, Ismail, tried to run as well. But he was too late. The villagers remember seeing the plane point its nose down and dive, dropping a bomb. It then climbed away. Al Hassan’s father lay on the ground in a crumpled heap, dead, in front of the ruins of his house.”

US officials initially denied that a strike had taken place in the vicinity. Responding to a query from Airwars, Centcom informed us on October 27th 2015 for example that “The Coalition did not conduct strikes in the vicinity of al Ghara village on May 6.”

However, pressed by Global Post investigators CENTCOM reported in January 2016 that it would reinvestigate the incident.

 

Victims

Invidivuals

65 years old male killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Civilians reported killed
1
1 Man

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al-Gharah (الغرة), Al-Hasakah Governorate, for which the coordinates of its midpoint are: 36.4506988, 40.2984953

Al-Gharah (الغرة)

Imagery: © 2018 Google

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
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 al-Gharah, al-Hassakah, Syria
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
No strikes were reportedly carried out by the Coalition in Syria on May 5th-6th. However, for May 6th-7th 2015 it was reported that “Near Al Hasakah, four airstrikes struck one large and two small ISIL tactical units, destroying 12 ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL trench system and an ISIL vehicle.”
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2018-07-26
Original Source
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.