Conflict

U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

CS1372b

Location

al-Badu, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.962051, 39.008298
Accuracy: Exact location (via Airwars)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S1200b)

In this single-source event, a family of five, including two children and one woman, were killed as alleged Coalition airstrike hit a house in which the family had sought shelter in, in al-Badu, Raqqa, Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality, reported.

Amnesty’s field researcher reported that the family was internally displaced from elsewhere in the city. They left their own home when artillery shells struck the house and went to shelter in another house, and then another house and then another house and then this house. Several other relatives, including the two children’s parent, survived.

However, it should be noted that local sources mentioned that two of the victims, Sinjar Fares Hassan and Maha al-Nasser, were killed on September 12th, 2017 instead of August 14th. Though, Airwars assess that it is most likely that they were killed on the first reported day, August 14th.

However, it appears that some of their relatives were killed on September 12th, also in al-Badu, Raqqa (see CS1474).

The event is graded ‘weak’ despite several reports about civilian harm, especially the deaths of Sinjar and Maha. However, it is only the joint Amnesty and Airwars report that reports that the deaths took place on August 14th, 2017.

Victims

Family members (5)

45 years old male killed
8 years old male nephew of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
6 years old male nephew of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
40 years old male uncle of of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed
40 years old female cousin of Sinjar Fares Hassan killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Weak
Civilians reported killed
5
2 Children, 1 Woman, 2 Men

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Not yet assessed
UK Military Strike Report
‘Monday 14 August – Tornados and Typhoons struck five Daesh targets in Raqqa, and a truck-bomb command post in eastern Syria…A flight Typhoons destroyed a Daesh position in Raqqa on Monday 14 August with Paveway IVs. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair also patrolled over the city and they conducted Paveway IV attacks, which destroyed a sniper team and two machine-guns. The aircraft moved off towards the east of Syria, where a command post that was controlling truck-bomb attacks had been identified 40 miles south of Al Hasakah. This was destroyed with a further Paveway.’
French Military Strike Report
For Aug 9-15th, France report 2 strikes in Raqqah, Syria – and 13 artillery missions in Mosul.
French Military Strike Report
In the past week, (11th-18th) France conducted 27 sorties, including 22 armed reconnaissance and ground support (CAS), 1 refueling outlet and 4 intelligence gathering sorties by Atlantic 2 or Rafale patrols. Two strikes were carried out in the Raqqah region of Syria. They helped support the Syrian democratic forces in their offensive to retake the city.

Media From Sources (4)