Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1308

Incident date

July 31, 2017

Location

دبلان, Dablan, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.855, 40.568611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One woman, the wife of Saleh al-Awaid, died in an airstrike on Dablan, according to local sources.

None of the sources apportioned blame. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights referred only to “warplanes,” while @DeirEzzor24 said the victim died from an injury after a bombing by “military aircraft”.

According to Dblan net, cluster bombs were dropped on Dablan, causing the woman’s death. Euphrates Post said she was killed by “shrapnel and bleeding”.

It also added that the following people were wounded: The family of Yasin Al Sajer, The family of Saleh Al-Awaid, The family of Hussein Al – Ghab, The family of Ali al Dhali’.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

wife of Saleh al-Awaid
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–16
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Dablan, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 31, 2018
  • 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

US-led Coalition

For July 31st-August 1st: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed 13 ISIS oil stills, an oil storage barrel and an ISIS chemical weapons factory.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–16
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]