Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Several civilians died and were wounded in alleged Coaltion airstrikes on Raqqa’s Al Ferdous neighbourhood, according to local media. Sources reported that a mosque was also destroyed in a strike.
According to the Syrian Press Center, there was “an aerial bombardment and artillery shelling of residential buildings in Al Ferdous, Al Jamili and Al Naeem neighborhoods in Raqqa city, along with reports of casualties and injuries among civilians in Al Ferdous neighborhood.”
@Q_Alenezy reported that the Coalition targeted Al Ferdous with white phosphorus, while @24Raqqa, @alhariri097 and Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said that a Coalition strike destroyed the Paradise mosque in its entirety.
Step News Agency added that there had been “a number of civilian deaths and injuries” in al Ferdous, also blaming Coalition strikes.
RBSS later reported the name of one civilian had died of injuries sustained in the attack.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Ferdous (الفردوس) in the city of Raqqa (الرقة). The coordinates of the Al Ferdous mosque are: 35.954025, 39.006268
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
-
The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.
Original strike reports
For September 10th-11th: “Near Raqqah, 23 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed 20 fighting positions, two logistics nodes, and a vehicle; and suppressed two fighting positions.” It additionally reported that “On Sept. 10, near Raqqah, Syria, 11 strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed 14 vehicles, three fighting positions, a logistics node, and an anti-air artillery system; and suppressed a fighting position.”
For September 11th - 12th, the Coalition reported: " •Near Raqqah, 31 strikes [1 British] engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 24 fighting positions, 17 vehicles, three logistics nodes, an ISIS headquarters, an IED, and a command and control node" It later reported, "On Sept. 11, near Raqqah, 16 strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions and a logistics node"
‘Monday 11 September – Tornados destroyed two sniper positions in Raqqa, and attacked a Daesh-held compound and terrorists on a motorcycle near Dayr az Zawr…A flight of Royal Air Force Tornados supported the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting in Raqqa on Monday 11 September, when Paveway IV guided bombs were used to destroy two sniper positions. A second Tornado flight patrolled north-east of Dayr az Zawr, where they attacked a group of terrorists in a compound with a Paveway IV. Survivors of the attack then attempted to move to another position on a motorcycle, but were successfully engaged with a Brimstone missile.’
‘Tuesday 12 September – a Reaper successfully guided a coalition airstrike onto a truck-bomb workshop near Dayr az Zawr…The following day [Sept 12th], a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft operated in the same area near Dayr az Zawr, and provided precision targeting that enabled a coalition air strike to destroy a truck-bomb workshop and a vehicle that was being prepared there.’