Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1302

Incident date

July 31, 2017

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.9505639, 39.0094148 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A 14-year-old boy died following an injury sustained in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa, according to local sources.

Revolution Coordination Committee in Palmyra reported “the martyrdom of the child Mohammed Ali Hassan Taha (14 years old), displaced from Palmyra, died following being injured by a shell from the bombing of the international coalition on the streets of the city of Al-Raqqa yesterday.”

All sources blamed the US-led Coalition for the child’s death.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Ali Hassan Taha
14 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mohammed Ali Hassan Taha, killed following a shrapnel wound sustained in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa, July 30th 2017. (via Revolution Coordination Committee in Palmyra)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

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.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 31, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 30th – 31st, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 14 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine fighting positions, three supply caches, two ISIS-held buildings, a vehicle, a tunnel, and a command and control node; and suppressed a fighting position.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Monday 31 July – Typhoons attacked a Daesh defensive position and two sniper teams in Raqqa…Royal Air Force Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper aircraft have continued to fly daily armed reconnaissance missions against Daesh over Syria and Iraq, and have delivered a number of air strikes against terrorist targets in Raqqa. On Monday 31 July, two flights of Typhoons, based at RAF Akrotiri, delivered successful attacks with Paveway IV guided bombs against a defensive position from which Daesh were firing on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and against two sniper teams.’

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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

Sources (9) [ collapse]