Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS119

Incident date

August 29, 2015

Location

الباب, Al-Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.3709658, 37.5179666 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A six-months pregnant woman named as Ghafran Al Jabli was reported killed in an event at Al Bab along with her 10-year old nephew, Mohammad Al Waki.

Syrian Martyrs reported that the deaths were caused by a Coalition strike on the outskirts of the city.

However VDC described the cause of death as shooting, while the Syrian Human Rights Committee cited unspecified ‘raids’ on Al Bab.

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 29, 2015, in Al-Bab, 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. 2824/CS119 37SCA670261”.

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 (2)

Adult female pregnant killed
10 years old male Ghafran's nephew killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al-Bab (الباب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.3709658, 37.5179666. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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, Unknown
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (7) [ collapse]

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 Al Bab, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCA670261
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 5, 2019
  • August 29, 2015, in Al-Bab, 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. 2824/CS119 37SCA670261

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

While no Coalition strikes were pubicly reported for Al Bab, it was reported that strikes occured in the vicinity of nearby Kobane for August 29th-30th 2015: “Near Kobani, four airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and three ISIL excavators and destroyed five ISIL motorcycles, three ISIL structures, two ISIL guard shacks, two ISIL excavators and an ISIL vehicle.”

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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, Unknown
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (7) [ collapse]