Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1669 RS2705

Incident date

November 8, 2017

Location

Abu Kamal, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.466049, 40.907593 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians including one woman died in an airstrike on Abu Kamal, according to local media. Sources mostly attributed the blame to the Coalition, however most reports published during from this period reported Russian and Syrian regime raids. The Centcom Daily Summary reported there were no Coalition strikes in Syrian or Iraq on November 8th 2017. 

Palmyra Revolution Coordination, alleged that the Coalition carried out the attack. Some other sources did not apportion blame.

Smart News Agency blamed the Syrian regime.

In April 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting: “After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

According to sources the victims killed were internally displaced.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Musa’ab Mousa Eid Al Abdullah al Nijm
Child male killed
Mohammad Ziyad al Hilal
Child male killed
Mrs. Rokaya Ali Alda’as Al Salama
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Abu Kamal (البوكمال) for which the coordinates are: 34.466049,40.907593

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Musa’ab Mousa Eid Al Abdullah al Nijm, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on Abu Kamal, November 8th 2017. (via Palmyra Revolution Coordination)

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
    Other
  • Stated location
    near Abu Kamal, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU752154
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 25, 2019
  • Nov. 8, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For November 8th-9th the Coalition publicly reported no strikes in Syria.

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]