Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS079

Incident date

June 13, 2015

Location

خشام, Khusham, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.3020098, 40.2914143 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three children were reported by a single source as having been killed during an overnight coalition airstrike on a Daesh checkpoint at the town of Kheshan. However local sources said the attack was the work of the Syrian regime.

A man named as Abu Mohammed, said to be one of the relatives of the dead, told Sound And Picture that the coalition no longer appeared to be taking as much care in preventing civilian casualties: “The organization [Daesh] uses as its HQ buildings among civilians – but is that the civilians’ fault? Why are they being killed because of Daesh?

A Facebook page run by Dayr az Zawr residents also said three children had died – but attributed the attack to aircraft from the Assad regime.

 

The incident was first reported on June 14, 2015 at 4:32 pm by Dayr az Zawr Residents Facebook page.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the airstrike hit a “Daesh checkpoint and a house” “overnight” in the village of Khusham (خشام), Deir Ezzor, for which the coordinates of its midpoint are: 35.3020098, 40.2914143

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ 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 Khusham, 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

No coalition strikes were publicly reported in the vicinity of Dayr az Zawr between June 12th-14th 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]