Geolocation
Airwars assessment
As many as 12 civilians died and dozens were injured in airstrikes and/or artillery shelling on Ma’adan, local media reported – though sources were conflicted as to whether the US-led Coalition or Russia or event the Syrian regime were responsible.
Baladi blamed artillery for the injury of “a number of civilians”, however, other sources – including Sharqiya Voice said that Coalition airstrikes had injured three non-combatants.
However, according to Shaam News, Russia carried out strikes on Ma’adan, killing 12 civilians and wounding many more.
RBSS reported that highs of “22 people were killed by Russian air strikes on the town of Ma’dan and the village of Zour Shamar in the eastern Raqqa countryside.” Similarly, Step News Agency reported that overall, “More than twenty-two civilians have been killed and dozens wounded in a new massacre by the International Coalition in the eastern Rifqa countryside.”
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported a raid “on the house of Mr. Ahmad Al-Taha in front of Maadan hospital, which resulted in the martyrdom of Miss Laila Nawaf Al-Hassani, one of her daughters and the injury of the rest of the family, and the martyrdom of Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Issa Al-Zanuba (Ibrahim Al-Ta’mas) from the village of al Bu Ramadan.”RBSS later published images of the aftermath of the event – including graphic pictures of child casualties – which it said had been carried out by Russia.
However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, pointed towards the Assad regime, reporting “the death of a girl and her mother in Syrian regime forces shelling”.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (22) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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Photo showing the destruction in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS)
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured child in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured child in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured child in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured child in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured child in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured man in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of an inured man in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 2017. (via RBSS) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A picture of dead children in the town of Maadan as a result of alleged Coalition and Russian airstrikes on 18th July 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 July 18th-19th: “Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed nine fighting positions, two vehicles and a tactical vehicle.” It additionally reported that “On July 18, near Raqqah, Syria, 18 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 18 fighting positions, an anti-aircraft artillery system, a weapons cache, and a sniper position; and damaged a fighting position and a supply route.”
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.’