Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS070

Incident date

May 24, 2015

Location

أبو شاخات, Abu Sheikhat, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.6486405, 39.7386003 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A Kurdish ground offensive backed by Coalition strikes reportedly killed six civilians in Abu Sheikhat and Tal Nass villages, to the west of Ras al-Ain.

Among those reported killed at Abu Sheikhat were a young female child and three non combatant men.

At nearby Tal Nass village, Adalah also alleged that two children were killed and one wounded from the Al Mir’i family, after an airstrike targeted an ISIL bulldozer.

Zaman reported that a number of civilians had been caught in Coalition strikes after failing to flee the village, for fear that surrounding areas remained occupied by ISIL.

In a rare reference to potential civilian casualties in an incident, the Coalition blamed at least some civcas on the destruction of an ISIL vehicle-borne IED, noting that “Kurdish fighters reported an ISIL VBIED detonation which resulted in an undetermined number of civilians injured in the area.”

Yet two years later, the Coalition claimed there was insufficient evidence of civilian harm: “May 24, 2015, near Abu Sheikhat, Syria, via Airwars report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”

Airwars has requested additional information form the Coalition, and continues to assess this event as likely.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Child female killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (3 children3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]

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 Abu Sheikhat, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

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

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For May 23rd-24th 2015, the Coalition noted that “Near Al Hasakah, nine airstrikes struck two large and three small ISIL tactical units, destroying eight ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL vehicles, an ISIL tank and an ISIL armored vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (3 children3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]