Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Two to three people were killed and others wounded following airstrikes on Al Sha’afa village, Deir Ezzor governorate, according to local media. It was not wholly clear whether civilians or ISIS members died in the event. Moreover there was some discrepancy regarding the location within the village.
According to Al Araby, the international Coalition targeted a car, resulting in two civilian casualties. Furat Post, cited in All4syria, alleged the car belonged to ISIS, and was struck in a series of raids which targeted ISIS vehicles. The source said “a number or civilians” were “dead and wounded”.
According to Qasioun, “all passengers” of the vehicle died, though the report did not assert whether they were civilians or combatants.
Shaam News suspected all who died were members of ISIS. RFS suspected three civilians were killed and others wounded in Al Sha’afa village. However, it alleged the location of the strike was a house in the centre of town rather than a vehicle.
The Syrian Observatory said “two citizens were killed as a result of targeting by warplanes yesterday after midnight, to areas in Al-Sha’fa village in Deir Ezzor countryside”.
It was not clear from sources which party carried out the raids. Al Araby, Qasioun, Shaam and Baladi blamed the Coalition, whereas All4syria, RFS and SOHR referred to “warplanes” or unknown “aircraft”. The majority of sources located the incident at the vehicle, with only RFS referring to a “civilian house”.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Sha’afa (الشعفة), Deir ez-Zor governorate, for which the coordinates are: 34.57888, 40.93441.
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
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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
For September 17th – 18th the Coalition reported “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a VBIED and an ISIS headquarters.”