Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS113

Incident date

August 13–14, 2015

Location

مروح, Marwah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.4969933, 38.3927321 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Six civilians, all members of the same family, were killed in an alleged Coalition strike on the Daesh-occupied town of Al Mourouj (or Al Mourwah) according to multiple reports.

Saudi newspaper Asharq al Awsat reported that “six civilians were killed on Friday evening [August 14th] after an international Coalition plane bombed the village of Al Mourwah which is under IS control – around 15 km south of the town of Sareen in the northern Aleppo countryside. Abd Al Malik Al Sheikh, a former member of the council of Free Aleppo, said that the six civilians were documented by name, including children. Dozens of others were wounded, and he noted that the bombing directly targeted civilian homes in the village, which caused great damage.”

In a later report the Syrian Network cited Mr Nael, who it said was an eyewitness to the attack: “International coalition warplanes launched one rocket that destroyed several houses. Not less than 5 houses were damaged and 6 individuals from one family were killed. Their bodies remained under the rubble for hours. ISIL controls our town but its headquarters are visibly clear and the international coalition can target it without killing civilians. We are paying the price of war and the ongoing conflict between ISIL and the coalition-supported Kurdish forces.”

In its monthly civilian casualty assessment for October 2019 – published on December 5th of that year – the US-led Coalition assessed this event to be ‘non credible’, noting: “August 14, 2015, in Marwah, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2808/CS113 37SDA456392”.

The Coalition also provided coordinates showing the area it had assessed, accurate to within 100 metres.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (0–1 children6 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

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
    in Marwah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDA456392
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 5, 2019
  • August 14, 2015, in Marwah, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2808/CS113 37SDA456392

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For August 13th-14th 2015, the Coalition reported that “Near Aleppo, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL recoilless rifles, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.”

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (0–1 children6 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS