Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1118 RS2311

Incident date

June 28, 2017

Location

دبلان, Dablan, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.855, 40.568611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 60 civilians died and dozens more were wounded in airstrikes on Dablan, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to who was responsible for the event, with allegations against the Coalition, Russia and the Syrian regime.

The pro-regime source, Damas Press, put the death toll at 40 and blamed the US-led Coalition. However, Syria News Desk was among several sources attributing the event to Moscow, putting the death toll at 40 non-combatants with 60 more injured. It reported that four houses were completely destroyed amid extensive damage to residential buildings and shops. Additionally, the report said that “that dozens of families fled towards the Badia, fearing renewed targeting of the town as planes continued to fly overhead”.

Euphrates Post also pointed towards Russia: “According to the correspondent of the network Furat Post media, unknown aircraft – though thought to belong to the Russian air force – targeted residential sites in the center of the town of Dablan with cluster bombs

“The source added that the mosques in the town used loud speakers to tell people to go to medical points to donate blood due to the large number of injuries caused by the bombing”.

But a later report by Euphrates Post referred to “the air force” [regime] launching several strikes with “with internationally banned cluster bombs”. It said that eye witnesses saw one raid targeting “an internet cafe belonging to al Siki family in the al Kaws neighbourhood in the city centre. This damaged seven nearby houses killing 17 martyrs. Another raid targeted agricultural land in the town. Most of the martyrs were children and women who slept on rooftops and outside due to heat. The weather and power outages had led to an increase in the number of martyrs. There is no final figure for the number of victims, but 20 have been buried so far”.

Some other sources referred to “unknown warplanes with cluster bombs”.

But according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights – which put the death toll at at least 13 – jets belonging to the regime were to blame. Sharqiya Voice – one of the sources blaming Russia – reported that the death toll had risen to 60.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Son of Yassin al Alawi 1
Age unknown male killed
Son of Yassin al Alawi 2
Age unknown male killed
Yassin’s wife
Adult female killed
"and her son"
male killed

Family members (3)

Khaled Al – Hussein Al – Saleh
Adult male killed
Son of Khaled Al – Hussein Al – Saleh
Age unknown male killed
Saleh Al – Hussein Al – Saleh
killed

Family members (3)

Ibrahim Al-Siki
Age unknown male killed
Khaled Alsiki
Age unknown male killed
Saleh Alsiki
Age unknown killed

Family members (2)

Son of Abu Halash 1
Age unknown male killed
Son of Abu Halash 2
Age unknown male killed

Family members (2)

Son of Jassem Al Turki 1
Age unknown male killed
Son of Jassem Al Turki 2
Age unknown male killed

Family members (2)

Daughter of Hassan al-Ghannam 1
Age unknown female killed
Daughter of Hassan al-Ghannam 2
Age unknown female killed

Family members (2)

The daughter of Khamis al-Khalifa
Age unknown female killed
The mother of Khamis al-Khalifa
Adult female killed

The victims were named as:

Mousa Al Ismail
Age unknown killed
Issa Al-Hamoud
Age unknown killed
Muhsin al Oussour
Age unknown killed
Abu Yusuf Al-Deiri
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 60
  • (5 children2–5 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–60
  • 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, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of a raid on a civilian home in Dablan, June 28th 2017. (via Sharqiya Voice)
  • The remnants of a cluster bomb which was used on Dablan by alleged Coalition or Russian airstrikes, 28th June 2017. (via Sharqiya voice)
  • Aftermath of the airstrike on Dablan by alleged Coalition or Russian airstrikes, 28th June 2017. (via Sharqiya voice)
  • Aftermath of the airstrike on Dablan by alleged Coalition or Russian airstrikes, 28th June 2017. (via Sharqiya voice)
  • The remnants of a missile which was used on Dablan by alleged Coalition or Russian airstrikes, 28th June 2017. (via Sharqiya voice)
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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU1714192076
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 1, 2017
  • 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

US-led Coalition

For June 28th-29th: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed 10 oil storage tanks, six oil trucks, two fuel trailers, an well head, a piece of oil processing equipment and an ISIS headquarters.”

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 60
  • (5 children2–5 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–60
  • 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, Syrian Regime

Sources (24) [ collapse]