Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1625

Incident date

October 14, 2017

Location

السعدة, Al Sa'ada village, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

35.6627357, 40.7212543 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported unspecified civilian casualties following alleged US-led Coalition airstrikes near Al Sa’ada village in the vicinity of Markada, Hasaka governorate, in the early hours of Sunday. People of the villages of Al-Harith, Al-Sa’dah Al-Gharbia, Al-Ashiteh Al-Gharbi, and Jana’a, all close to Markada, were reportedly displaced as a result of the air raids, Euphrates Post said.

Deir Ezzor Media Center [pro-SDF], quoted an eyewitness close to one of the villages: The shelling led to the destruction of Daesh convoys in the villages mentioned except for the village of West Shaada, where the shelling resulted in the fall of a house on one of its residents and spread a state of panic in the village. This, in turn, led to the displacement of the villagers towards Shaddadi. The source attributed the strikes to aircraft belonging to the International Alliance.

Presently, it is unclear how many civilians were affected, though several reports said that there were civilian casualties.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Sa’ada village (السعدة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.6627357, 40.7212543. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al Sa’ada village, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • 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

US-led Coalition

For October 14th – 15th the Coalition reported Near Ash Shadaddi, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]