Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS100

Incident date

July 12, 2015

Location

مزرعة الأسدية, Al Assadiyah near Ar Raqqah, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.966983, 38.703728

Airwars assessment

A boy named as Amjad Mohammed was reportedly killed along with eleven alleged Daesh militants, in a fresh coalition airstrike on the outskirts of Ar Raqaa.

According to SOHR, the child may have belonged to ‘Cubs of the Caliphate’ – an Islamic State indoctrination unit for young children in the city. One report claimed he died as a result of “airstrikes carried out by coalition warplanes on the farms of al-Asadiyyeh area, to the north of Raqqah city.” Another report said he was begging near a bridge in the north of the city when it was struck by the coalition.

Separately, an adult male non-combatant named as Sari Ibrahim Al A’akar also reportedly died as the result of a coalition strike on Mankalan bridge.

In an unusual move, the coalition reported that while both its own aircraft and those of the Assad regime had bombed Raqaa on July 11th-12th, “The nearest Coalition airstrike to Ar Raqqa city-center was 6.75 km away and targeted four bridges.”

Islamic State later published a propaganda video in which it said one adult male non-combatant had died in the US airstrikes. The organisation said that all bridges into the city had been destroyed, forcing locals to use side roads to get in and out.

In July 2017 the Coalition said it had classed the event as non credible on grounds of available evidence of civilian harm: “July 12, 2015, near Raqqah, 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.”

Given reports from the time, Airwars contionues to assess this event as likely – though is seeking additional claridication from the Coalition.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

8 years old male From al Assadiya farm killed
Adult male died as a result of a raid on Mankalan bridge. killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, 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 July 11th-12th 2015 CJTF-OIR additionally notes that: “Near Ar Raqqah, six airstrikes struck five ISIL staging areas and an ISIL personnel carrier destroying an ISIL t-wall and two ISIL excavators.” An additional note pointed out that: “Separately, Syrian aircraft conducted airstrikes within Ar Raqqah near the timeframe of Coalition forces. These Syrian airstrikes were not coordinated with the Coalition. The nearest Coalition airstrike to Ar Raqqa city-center was 6.75 km away and targeted four bridges.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]