Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1328

Incident date

August 4, 2017

Location

منطقة جمعية المهندسين, Jamiat al Muhandissen area in Orme al Kubra, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.116944, 36.908611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple local sources reported the explosion of a car bomb in “the second village of engineers” killing members of Haiat Tahrir al Sham [formerly Al Qaeda/ Al Nusra] and up to four civilians, as well as wounding others.

According to @Elghad , “The Syrian Observatory, based in Britain, said that a car bomb exploded near the headquarters of the editor of the Levant in the Al Mouhandeseen countryside.

The Observatory said that preliminary reports indicated the killing of two members of the Liberation of the Sham and wounding others.

A media unit of the group confirmed the explosion, saying that a number of its members were killed and wounded.”

There was only one allegation against Coalition warplanes, from the Step News Agency. It reported: “Thirteen members of Haiat Tahrir al Sham [formerly Al Nusra] and a number of civilians were killed and wounded when the Coalition’s international air force targeted them in the area of the Society of Engineers [or Jamiaat al Muhandissen] in Orme al-Kubra, west of Aleppo.”

The incident was first reported on August 19, 2017 at 8:17 am by @Akhbr .

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports mention the area of Jamiat al Muhandissen (منطقة جمعية المهندسين) in Orme al Kubra (أورم الكبرى), western Aleppo governorate, for which the coordinates are: 36.116944, 36.908611    

  • The area of Jamiat al Muhandissen (منطقة جمعية المهندسين)

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ 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 Orme al Kubra, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SCV117989
    Military Grid Reference System

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

The Coalition has not publicly reported any strikes in Aleppo governorate for August 3rd-4th.

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
    2 – 4
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]