Geolocation
Airwars assessment
A civilian male was killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes on the village of Kasrat Muhammed Ali to the south of Raqqa, local sources reported.
All five sources documenting the incident alleged that the Coalition was responsible.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Kasrat Mohhamed Ali (كسرة محمد علي), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.883889, 39.023333. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (5) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Ibrahim al-Subhi al-Jassim al-Batir, killed in an alleged Coalition raid on Kasrat Mohammad Ali, 30th June 2017. (via RBSS)
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 30th-July 1st: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units, three fighting positions, three vehicles, a tactical vehicle and a mortar system.”
‘Friday 30 June – Tornados and Typhoons destroyed a truck-bomb and a Daesh-held building in Raqqa…The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh’s current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties. Royal Air Force Tornados and Typhoons provided close air support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushing into Raqqa on Friday 30 June. The Typhoons worked closely with a coalition surveillance aircraft which had spotted a large truck-bomb. A direct hit from a Paveway IV removed the threat. A Tornado pair meanwhile bombed a Daesh-held building in the south-east of the city.’