Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1084

Incident date

June 25, 2017

Location

القورية, Al Quoriya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.96, 40.55 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two displaced families, made up of 10 to 13 civilians which included three women and seven children, were reportedly killed and others were injured in alleged airstrikes on two houses in Al Quoriya – though most sources alleged that the Coalition was responsible, one report from Step News Agency, pointed towards Russia.

Sound and Picture reported that ISIL members had previously been living in the two houses targeted by the airstrikes, said to be owned by Suleiman al Aidan, but said that they had left some time ago and that the house was subsequently filled with the displaced families.

Step News Agency said that the two families were displaced from Raqqa and reported that strikes were carried out by an “airliner believed to be Russian”.

Of the 13 sources to report the incident, 10 alleged that the Coalition was responsible.

No further details were available.

On October 27th 2017 the Coalition admitted having killed a civilian in a strike in Al Quoriya. The confirmed strike might relate to this event (CS1084) or be a separate event (CS1085). The Coalition’s report stated: “June 25, 2017, near Al Qurayya, Syria, via self-report. During a Coalition strike that destroyed one ISIS staging location, it was assessed that one civilian was unintentionally killed.”

The Coalition is currently withholding the exact coordinates for this confirmed strike. Airwars is seeking further information from the Coalition.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Amani al Karad
Child female killed
Sister of Amani al Karad
Child female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Quoriya (القورية), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.96, 40.55. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 13
  • (7 children3 women)
  • 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, Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Amani al Karad was reportedly by Coalition, or Russian, airstrikes targeting the city of Al Quoriya, Deir ez-Zour (via SN4HR)
  • Footage showing the destruction at the house of Sulayman al-Aidan in the city of al Qouriya as a result of Coalition or Russian air strikes targeting the city of al Quriya, Deir ez-Zour (via Euphrates post)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 24th-25th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS-held buildings, two command and control nodes, an ISIS staging area, a mortar system, a tactical vehicle, and an ISIS oil refinery.”

For June 25th-26th: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed six ISIS oil storage tanks, four ISIS pump jacks and two ISIS facilities.” It additionally reported that “On June 25, near Dayr az Zawr, one strike destroyed an ISIS-held building.“

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 13
  • (7 children3 women)
  • 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, Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]