Airwars assessment
A baby girl was killed following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Kasrat al Faraj or Kasrat Sheikh al Juma’a, but there was confusion as to exactly where the death took place due to conflicting reports.
She was identified by a number of sources and was either nine or 10 months old, with Al Ragga Truth reporting she was killed in Kasrat al Farraj whereas the Syrian Network for Human Rights reporting she was killed in Kasrat Sheikh al Juma’a.
Euphrates Post and Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently simply reported that she died in “Kasrat”.
Two of the four sources reporting the incident alleged that the Coalition was responsible.
In April 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting: “After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (6) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]
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Maya Mostafa Hussein al Helal, killed in alleged Coalition strikes in Kasrat al Faraj or Kasrat Sheikh al Juma’a, Raqqa (via SyrianRevolution tweet)
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Maya Mostafa Hussein al Helal, killed in alleged Coalition strikes in Kasrat al Faraj or Kasrat Sheikh al Juma’a, Raqqa (via Al Ragga truth facebook)
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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June 20, 2017, near Kasrat Faraj, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.
Original strike reports
For June 19th-20th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, eight strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 15 fighting positions and a vehicle.” It additionally reported that “On June 19, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and a UAS launch site.”
For June 20th-21st the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units; and destroyed six fighting positons, three vehicles, three tactical vehicles, two mortar teams, a command and control node and a mortar cache.” In addition it reported that “On June 20, near Raqqah, Syria, two strikes damaged eight fighting positions.”