Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS166

Incident date

January 18, 2016

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.9505639, 39.0094148 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to the Union of Hassakah Youth, an adult male non-combatant named as Ammar Al Khayran was killed in a Coalition strke on Raqqah. According to the group, the victim “came from Mabrouka in the western countryside of Rass Al Ain.” Other sites also reported his death, which was additionally claimed for both January 17th and January 19th.

According to Ara News, in an evening strike the international Coalition targeted “three locations near Raqqa city with a drone, which led to the destruction of a tactical unit belonging to Daesh.” Citing Raqaa is Being Slaughtered, the article also reported that there had not as yet been any reports of civilian casualties from the event.

In their February 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ammar Al Khayran
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ 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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV008784
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Feb 2, 2020
  • Jan. 18, 2016, in Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2901/CS166 37SEV008784

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reports for January 17th-18th 2016 that “Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes [1 British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL underground facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]