Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Six civilians were killed and several others were injured in alleged Coalition airstrikes or guided missile strikes on residences in Al Idkhar in west Raqqa, local sources reported.
The attack was said to have taken place after midnight. Six of the nine sources which reported the incident alleged that the Coalition was responsible.
In February 2019, the Coalition assessed this event to be non-credible. Their report noted: “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 incident occured at approximately 12:00 am local time.
Summary
Sources (9) [ collapse]
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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The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.
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June 21, 2017, near Idikhar Residence, Raqqah, 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 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.”
For June 21st-22nd, “Near Raqqah, 14 strikes engaged 14 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 16 fighting positions, three vehicles and an ammunition cache.” It additionally reported that “On June 21, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed four ISIS staging areas, three vehicles, three fighting positons, and a VBIED; damaged a VBIED factory; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”
Wednesday 21 June – Typhoons struck two Daesh-held buildings in Raqqa, while Tornados and Typhoons destroyed a car-bomb, and four terrorist strongpoints in Mosul…On Wednesday 21 June, a pair of Typhoons assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Raqqa. Two buildings held by extremist fighters were hit with Paveway IVs.