Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1323

Incident date

August 3, 2017

Location

حارة البد, al Badou and al Thakana neighbourhoods, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.958889, 39.008889 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 20 civilians including seven children and their mother died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the al Badou and al Takana neighbourhoods in Raqqa, according to local media.

All sources blamed the US-led Coalition, and put the minimum death toll at eight.

According to Sound and Picture and Raqqa18, 10 people from the Al-Junaid family died. Other sources said the victims included a woman and her seven children.

RNN put the number killed even higher, at 20 civilians, adding that most of them were from the Al-Junaid family.

@Khaled_qahtan reported that dozens were killed and wounded in the event, while A’amaq [ISIS propaganda] published a very graphic video (below) showing child casualties reportedly from the incident. Other sources published images taken from this footage.

The Syrian Observatory reported “the death of 8 citizens they are a woman, 2 male children and 5 female children, all of them are of one family, as a result of bombing by the International Coalition on areas in Al-Raqqah City,”

The incident occured around dusk.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (7 children1 woman)
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • Injured civilians following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via Jobara News)
  • Injured civilians following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via @Khaled_qahtan)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A baby killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via @Khaled_qahtan)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A baby killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via @Khaled_qahtan)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via @Khaled_qahtan)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A baby killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via Al Ragga truth)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured civilians followed an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via Al Ragga truth)
  • Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via Al Ragga truth)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via Al Ragga truth)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured child following an alleged Coalition airstrike on Ar Raqqah: al Badou and al Thakana neighborhoods, 3rd August 2017. (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Dark image possibly of an injured or killed civilian. (via RBSS)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Raqqa neighbourhoods of Al Badou (حارة البدو) and Al Thakana (حي الثكنة). Reports of the incident mention that the alleged Coalition airstrike targeted barracks in the neighbourhood of Al Thakana, for which the coordinates are: 35.9478905, 39.0067863. The coordinates for the neighbourhood of Al Badou are: 35.958889, 39.008889

  • The locations of Al-Badou and al-Thakana

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

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 August 3rd-4th: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, a mortar system, a vehicle, a VBIED and a supply route.”

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • For August 3rd-9th, France report 1 strike in Iraq and 1 in Syria, along with 9 artillery strikes in Mosul. (via EtatMajorFR)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (7 children1 woman)
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]