Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Two civilians died in Kasrat Juma’a village, Raqqa, according to local sources. Reports blamed Coalition airstrikes and SDF/Coalition artillery. Some other reports said that one of the victims was killed by an SDF sniper.
According to Q_Alenzy, a Coalition airstrike targeted “the house of Mustafa al-Ahmad al-Muhaimid”. Other sources also said that a large number of civilian homes in the area were struck.
Ali Hamad Al Nijm was named as killed by Al Ragga Truth following the “bombing” of his home. However, according to Sharqiya voice, a YPG sniper killed Ali Hamad Al Nijm and also injured a child.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights also blamed an SDF “sniper stationed in the outskirts of Kesret al Sheikh Jom’a village” for Ali Hamad Al Nijm’s death.
But to add to the confusion, another report by SN4HR reported that the child, Mahmoud al Najm, died in a Coalition raid – though said that he was killed and his brothers injured “during a bombardment by the YPG militia”.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Kasrat Sheikh (Juma’a) (كسرة شيخ (جمعة)), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.905278, 38.963889. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (16) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
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Ali Hamad Al Nijm, killed in a bombing on his home or - according to some source - by a YPG sniper in Kasrat al Jumaa, June 16/17th (via Al Ragga Truth)
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Mahmoud Ibrahim al-Hamad al Najim was reportedly killed by the contested shelling of the village of Kasrat Al Sheikh al Jumaa, Raqqa (via Al Ragga Truth)
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Aftermath of the contested shelling targeting Qusra Sheikh al Jumaa, Raqqa (via al Ragga Truth)
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Aftermath of the contested shelling targeting Qusra Sheikh al Jumaa, Raqqa (via al Ragga Truth)
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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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
For June 16th-17th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 25 strikes engaged 21 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 34 fighting positions, three tunnels, three mortar systems, two vehicles and a VBIED facility.” It was additionally reported that “On June 16, near Raqqah, Syria, eight strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed four fighting positions, two ISIS headquarters, two VBIED facilities, and two VBIEDs; and suppressed a sniper team.”
For June 17th-18th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 fighting positions, two tunnels and a VBIED.” It additionally reported that “On June 17, near Raqqah, Syria, 13 strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two command and control nodes, a VBIED, a tunnel, and a sniper position.” And that “On June 17, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and two snipers; destroyed two ISIS headquarters, two mortar systems, an anti-air artillery system, a VBIED facility, and an ISIS staging area; and damaged 11 fighting positions.”
For June 14th-20th, 19 strikes were made by French aircraft in Iraq and Syria. Most of them were carried out during the Battle of Mosul, in support of the Iraqi fighters engaged in the fighting to drive ISIL out of its positions in the North of the Medina. The other strikes were carried out in support of the fighting for the capture of Raqqah, and against flows of arms and fighters in Iraq and Syria.]
Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 34 sorties aériennes dont 31 de reconnaissance armée ou d’appui au sol (CAS) et 3 de recueil de renseignements. 19 frappes ont été réalisées par les avions français en Irak et en Syrie. La majeure partie d’entre elle ont été réalisées dans le cadre de la bataille de Mossoul, en appui des combattants irakiens engagés dans les combats pour chasser Daech de ses positions au Nord de la Médina. Les autres frappes ont été réalisées en appui des combats pour la prise de Raqqah, et contre des flux d’armes et de combattants en Irak et en Syrie.
riday 16 June – Typhoons bombed two Daesh positions in Raqqa, while Tornados and Typhoons attacked five positions in Mosul…Typhoons were again in action over Raqqa on Friday 16 June, when they bombed two further Daesh positions. Typhoons and Tornados, flying as mixed pairs, employed one Brimstone missile and four Paveway IVs to eliminate two machine-gun teams and three other Daesh strongpoints.