Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1474

Incident date

September 12, 2017

Location

Al Badou, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.961778, 39.006083 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least 12 civilians including up to seven children and three women died in alleged Coalition air and artillery strikes on residential homes in Raqqa’s Al Badou neighbourhood, according to multiple local sources.

Hadi Abdullah also put the death toll at least 11 with dozens more wounded, while Smart put the death toll at 12.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Coalition strikes killed “11 members of one family. They are a woman and two of her children; a man, his wife and two of their children; a man, his wife and three of his children”.

However, it should be noted that two of the reported victims, Sinjar Fares Hassan and Maha al-Nasser were in Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality, found to be killed on August 14th instead of September 12th. Which is why these two victims are moved to that incident, CS1272b, despite the local reports about their death on September 12th.

However, it appears that some of their relatives were killed on this date, September 12th.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Wardah
Age unknown female Daughter of Maha Nasser Hassan killed
Ahmad
Age unknown male Son of Maha Nasser Al Hassan killed

Family members (5)

Bassam Sinjar Hassan
Adult male killed
Najwa
Adult female wife of Bassam Sinjar Hassan killed
Son of Bassam Sinjar
Age unknown male killed
Son of Bassam Sinjar
Age unknown male killed
Son of Bassam Sinjar
Age unknown male killed

Family members (2)

Ahmad Adnan Al Saud
Age unknown male killed
Ahmed Abdul Karim Saud
Age unknown male killed

The victims were named as:

Fadi Sinjar Al Hassan
Age unknown killed
Khadija al Hassoun
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 14
  • (5–7 children2–3 women6–11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–36
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Ahmed Abdul Karim Saud, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on Raqqah's Al Badou neighbourhood, August 14th or Sept 12th (via Palmyra city coordination committee)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Badou (البدو), for which the coordinates are: 35.961778, 39.006083

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 al Badou, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV005797
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For September 11th – 12th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 31 strikes 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 additionally reported that “On Sept. 11, near Raqqah, 16 strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions and a logistics node.” And that “On Sept. 11, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed an ISIS fighting position.”

For September 12th - 13th, the Coalition reported: For September 12th – 13th the Coalition reported “Near Raqqah, 56 strikes engaged 17 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 56 fighting positions, three logistics nodes, and two vehicles; and suppressed a fighting position.” It additionally reported that “On Sept. 12, near Raqqah, Syria, five strikes destroyed 19 ISIS vehicles; and suppressed a fighting position.” And that “On Sept. 12, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘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.’

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 14
  • (5–7 children2–3 women6–11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–36
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]