Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1375

Incident date

August 16, 2017

Location

شارع معتز, West of Mu'Taz Street, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.9508, 39.01558 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 30 civilians including women and children died and dozens more were wounded in a Coalition airstrike on the area west of Al-Mu’taz Street in Raqqa, according to local media. The Coalition later confirmed having unintentionally injured two civilians in this strike.

All sources attributed the event to the US-led Coalition, with a number reporting that an apartment building was struck after “Maghrib prayers”, according to the Euphrates Post.

Multiple members of four families were reportedly killed, with Step News and other sources saying that 25 people from one family died. Death counts varied. Sound and Picture put the toll at 17, while Elwehda said that 11 children and five women were among those killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that there had been up to 13 child victims among the 25 who died.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently put the total number dead at around 30. According to Euphrates Post, the strike “targeted a building behind Abu Hussein Sironx where there were 30 people from four families, two of whom were taken out. The rest remained under the rubble.”

In the Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality”, Amnesty stated that “Eleven members of the Al-Rahil family – five women, three children and three men, were killed when the home they were sheltering in was destroyed in a coalition air strike. Another female relative was killed in in a neighbouring house.”Kraiem, a survivor of the strike gave a testimony to Amnesty stating that “After the strike I was looking for my son in the dark. I pulled a survivor out the rubble, it was Yassir, Khaled’s son. Then I found the body of my little boy. One of the women had been cut in half. Aydan was headless.”

Field notes of the investigation mention that “the house that was hit is known as Beit al Shamas – which is Kraim’s sister Fadda’s house. In mid-July, IS had sent them to the area, after ordering them and all their neighbours in their area on the outskirts of the city in northern Raqqa to leave, saying it was a ‘military area’.”

“Kraim and the others believe that Jihad Sueilem’s house, across the street, was impacted by shrapnel from this strike. The only person to die in Jihad Sueilem’s house was Yassir’s older sister,  Lana Ali al-Njem, who was in the kitchen when something appears to have come through the window. After inspecting the scene, we felt that whatever killed Yassir’s older sister must have come from something else, maybe a separate strike.” The incident reporting this death can be found here: CS1375b.

“Kraim was in the house at the time it was hit. He heard shooting outside so put his head out to have a look. That was when he heard an airplane above. After the strike there was no light but he had a torch. He was looking for his son in the dark. He pulled a body out but then boy said “I’m Yassir, Khaled’s son”. He found his son and saw that he had suffered a head wound. One of the women had been cut in half. Aydan was headless.”

In October 2017, the Coalition conceded it had caused civilian harm in what may be this this strike: “(14.) Aug. 15, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via self-report. During a Coalition strike that engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally injured.”

Airwars is still seeking clarification on this event. In their monthly civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of Amnesty’s civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

The incident occured at approximately 12:15 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

40 years old male a neighbour killed
38 years old male Yasser's brother killed
55 years old female Yasser's sister, widow, no children killed
27 years old female Yasser's sister killed
73 years old female Yasser's mother killed

Family members (3)

3 years old male Kraim’s son killed
6 years old female Kraim’s daughter killed
35 years old female Kraim’s wife killed

Family members (1)

Age unknown male killed

Family members (2)

70 years old male killed
65 years old female Aydan's wife killed

The victims were named as:

42 years old male his boy survived killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    13 – 30
  • (6–13 children5–6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–36
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (36) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Reem and Qutayba Kareem al Rahil killed along with their mother, in an alleged Coalition airstrike on an apartment building in Mu’taz Street in the center of Raqqa city, Aug 15th (via SN4HR)
  • Fatima Hassan al-Gatt (via RBSS)
  • # Raqqa massacre against the family of "Najem" because of the bombing of the international coalition aircraft on "Street Moataz" in the city of Al-Rigga before a few days Martyrs: 1 - Yasser Ali Najem .. 2 - Hussein Ali Najem 3 - Malika Ali -Najem, F 4 - Dalia Ali Najem, F 5 - and their mother Fatima Hassan al-Gatt
  • Members of the Najem family, Dalia and Malak (via Amnesty International)
  • Fatima Hassan Al Qat (via Amnesty International)

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

  • Before strike. (via Amnesty)

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

  • After strike. (via Amnesty)

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

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:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    2
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • (14.) Aug. 15, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via self-report. During a Coalition strike that engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally injured.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For August 14th-15th the Coalition reported “Near Raqqah, 27 strikes engaged 19 ISIS tactical units; and destroyed 59 fighting positions, two heavy machine guns, a mortar system, an IED, and a logistics node.” It additionally reported that “On Aug. 14, near Raqqah, Syria, 32 strikes engaged 20 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 18 fighting positions, three IEDs, three heavy machine guns, three command and control nodes, a logistics node, an anti-aircraft artillery system, and an IED factory.”

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

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.

‘OPÉRATION CHAMMAL SITUATION En Syrie, A Raqqah, la progression des forces démocratiques syriennes se poursuit. Au sud de la ville, la manœuvre de tenaille, amorcée il y a 15 jours, s’est achevée en fin de semaine dernière. Elle a permis de réaliser la jonction des fronts est et ouest. Depuis, les forces démocratiques syriennes ont relancé une offensive vers le centre de la ville mais elles font face à une défense acharnée des combattants de Daech. En Irak, Les forces de sécurité irakiennes poursuivent leurs opérations dans l’objectif de libérer, à terme, le nord de l’Irak. Actuellement, elles focalisent leur effort sur l’encerclement de la ville de Tall Afar. Les combattants de l’organisation terroriste réalisent un travail de valorisation de leurs positions défensives pour se préparer aux combats à venir alors que les populations tentent de fuir la ville. ACTIVITÉS DE LA FORCE Les soldats de l’opération Chammal poursuive leur mission d’appui au profit des unités irakiennes engagées contre Daech. Cette semaine, sur le théâtre, les aéronefs ont réalisé 27 sorties aériennes dont 22 de reconnaissance armée et d’appui au sol (CAS), 1 sortie de ravitaillement ainsi que 4 sorties de recueil de renseignement par Atlantique 2 ou patrouille de Rafale. Deux frappes ont été conduites dans la région de Raqqah en Syrie. Elles ont permis d’appuyer les forces démocratiques syriennes dans leur offensive pour reprendre la ville. La Task Force (TF) Wagram a mené de son côté 13 missions de tir en appui de la 15e division à l’ouest de Mossoul vers Tal Afar. En particulier, les artilleurs ont fourni des feux de harcèlement et d’éclairement pour interdire aux combattants de Daech de mener des actions au sol ou de réaliser des tirs indirects contre les positions irakiennes. Le bilan global de l’activité aérienne depuis le 19 septembre 2014 s’élève 1330 frappes, 2102 objectifs détruits et 6946 sorties. ‘

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

For Aug 9-15th, France report 2 strikes in Raqqah, Syria – and 13 artillery missions in Mosul.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    13 – 30
  • (6–13 children5–6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–36
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (36) [ collapse]