Geolocation
Airwars assessment
A civilian male was killed following alleged SDF mortar fire or Coalition artillery strikes into the Al Dariya neighbourhood of Raqqa, local sources reported.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently and @Q_Alenezy reported that he was killed after shells hit his home behind the Tariq Ibn Ziyad school.
Four of the five sources alleged that the US-backed SDF was responsible, however two sources alleged that artillery fire was responsible, meaning that the Coalition was to blame as Airwars understands that they are the only party with access to such weaponry.
Amnesty International later reported generally on the situation in the neighbourhood, citing ‘Mahmouda’, who escaped on July 21st: “They were fighting on both sides when we left. They [the SDF/coalition] had been shelling for two months. IS slaughtered people like birds. Many people were killed in the shelling. There were bodies all over the streets. The killing was from both sides but the worst was from IS. Families and families died.
The planes couldn’t distinguish between IS and civilians as IS made us all wear the same clothes. If the religious police caught my 12 year old son they’d make him cut his trousers [between the knee and the ankle – Kandahari style] so they couldn’t distinguish.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (9) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Mahmoud Khalaf al-Mous, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa, 15th July 2017. (via Sharqiya voice)
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 July 15th-16th: “Near Raqqah, nine strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed 14 fighting positions, two anti-air artillery systems and a VBIED.” It was additionally reported that “On July 15, near Raqqah, Syria, 12 strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, three mortar team positions, a mortar system, a fighting position and a vehicle.”
For July 12th-18th, France report 11 strikes: 7 in Syria (6 in Raqqa) and 4 in Iraq. There were 26 artillery strikes in Mosul. Since September 19th 2014 France has carried out 1322 strikes, with 2090 targets destroyed and 6812 air sorties. Additionally, they’ve carried out 1310 artillery missions.
‘OPÉRATION CHAMMAL SITUATION En Syrie, Dans la ville de Raqqah désormais encerclée, Daech défend fermement les quartiers sous son contrôle en s’appuyant sur un usage intensif de pièges dont le terrain est littéralement saturé pour ralentir la progression des forces démocratiques syriennes (FDS). Cette stratégie impose aux FDS de déminer, pas à pas, chaque rue et chaque maison, sous la menace permanente de tireurs isolés entre autres tactiques adverses. Leur progression reste donc très lente. En Irak, Alors que les opérations de sécurisation de Mossoul se poursuivent, la principale zone de combat se situe désormais à l’Ouest de la ville dans le secteur de Tall Afar. Depuis cette localité, Daech mène des actions de harcèlement par des tirs directs et indirects contre les positions des Forces de Sécurité Irakiennes (FSI) à proximité. L’effort aérien de la coalition s’y porte donc tout en s’accompagnant d’un engagement plus large sur l’ensemble des autres territoires encore sous le contrôle de l’organisation terroriste. Daech poursuit notamment ses actions de harcèlement depuis la poche de Hawijah et dans l’Anbar, région dans laquelle elle dispose de nombreux camps et caches d’armes. ACTIVITÉS DE LA FORCE Cette semaine, les aéronefs ont réalisé 37 sorties aériennes dont 31 de reconnaissance armée et d’appui au sol (CAS), ainsi que 04 missions de recueil de renseignement et 02 de ravitaillement en vol après le déploiement récent d’un C135. La moitié des frappes françaises (6 sur les 11 frappes) a été réalisée dans le cadre de la bataille de Raqqah, les missions de reconnaissance française ou alliée permettant d’en réaliser autant sur le reste du théâtre afin de préparer les manœuvres futures ou de peser sur les réseaux terroristes. La Task Force (TF) Wagram a mené de son côté 26 missions de tir dont 17 de harcèlement et 09 d’éclairement. Le bilan global de CHAMMAL depuis le 19 septembre 2014 s’élève 1322 frappes, 2090 objectifs détruits et 6812 sorties aériennes réalisées. 1310 missions d’artillerie complètent cet engagement cinétique de la France au Levant.’
Saturday 15 July – Tornados hit a sniper in Mosul, Typhoons and Tornados attacked mortar positions in Raqqa… The following day [July 15th], Tornados and Typhoons utilised eleven Paveway IV bombs against mortar positions in Raqqa, whilst a pair of Tornados used a Brimstone missile against a sniper holding out in western Mosul.