Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1696 RS2799

Incident date

December 13, 2017

Location

الجردي الشرقي, Al Jarthi al Sharqi, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.868793, 40.6480229 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 33 named civilians including 16 children and six women died and at least 10 more were wounded in airstrikes on al Jarthi al Sharqi, according to local media. VDC-SY reported that the airstrike was conducted on the 12th of December, whereas our research shows it was in fact on the 13th of December. All but one source said that the US-led Coalition was responsible. The Step News Agency was alone in pointing to Russia.

According to Al Haall, there were “more than eight raids on civilian houses”.

Euphrates Post blamed the Coalition, reporting “more than 20 martyrs and a number of wounded, most of them displaced civilians from the town of Sbeikhan”.

Al Qouriya media centre, also attributing the event to the Coalition, put the death toll at 25, naming the same victims as Euphrates Post.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who also blamed the Coalition, “the warplanes targeted places in the village after midnight just before the control of SDF of it. The airstrike caused of a massacre of 23 people of one family including 8 children under the age of eighteen, and 6 citizen women over the age of eighteen. The casualties are displaced from Sbikhan town to the village of Eastern al-Jerthi, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation”.

Other sources blaming the Coalition included SANA, Eldorar, the Shaam News Network, Baladi and Smart, which put the death toll at 11, with 10 more wounded.

However, the Step News Agency said that Russia was responsible.

VDC-SY named the victims and reported on the death of 16 children and six women. 

The Syrian Network for Human Rights later reported a higher civilian casualty figure, stating that “at least 29 civilians, including 21 children and 5 women, killed as International Coalition warplanes fired missiles on al Jerthi al Sharqi village in Deir Ez-Zour governorate eastern suburbs, on December 13, 2017.”

The incident was first reported on December 13, 2017 at 11:20 am by .

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

the only surviving one of them is the father (Saleh)
the only surviving one of them is his son Mohammed

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Adult male killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Adult female killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child female killed
Child male killed
Adult male killed
Child male killed
Adult female killed
Child male killed
Child female killed
Child female killed
Child female killed
Child female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Jarthi Al Sharqi (الجردي الشرقي), for which the coordinates are: 34.868793, 40.6480229

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 33
  • (16 children6 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an alleged Coalition raid on town of al-Jarthi, Dec 13th (via Euphrates Post)

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

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 26, 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 December 12th-13th, the Coalition reported: “Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS vehicles and a heavy weapon.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Tuesday 12 December – a Reaper struck a group of terrorists firing on the Syrian Democratic Forces in the east of the country...The Syrian Democratic Forces have continued to clear a number of villages held by Daesh along the Euphrates in eastern Syria, between Abu Kamal and Mayadin. Royal Air Force Reapers have provided significant support to these operations, their very long endurance, precision weaponry and advanced surveillance equipment allowing them to maintain effective overwatch for the SDF advances on the ground. On Tuesday 12 December, a Reaper identified a small group of Daesh extremists firing on the SDF. The Reaper’s crew kept very close watch on a number of civilians, including women and children, who were evacuating the village, and waited until they were clear of the area before conducting a successful attack on the terrorists with a Hellfire missile

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

The Wagram Task Force continues its support for security operations in the Euphrates Valley. This week, two firefighting missions were carried out for the benefit of the Iraqi security forces (balance sheet from 6 to 10 December). Since the beginning of its mission, the TF Wagram, realized 1589 shooting missions. This week, the air activity focused on intelligence missions for the benefit of Iraqi security forces and Syrian democratic forces.There were 20 sorties (Nov 6th-10th) but no strikes were conducted. It gave rise to 20 aerial sorties (balance sheet from 06 to 10 December). During these outings no hits were made. Total balance since 19/09/14: 7561 sorties / 1422 strikes / 2209 targets destroyed

CHAMMAL SITUATION MILITAIRE DU THEATRE Libération de l’Irak Cette semaine a été marquée par l’annonce par le premier ministre irakien de la libération de l’Irak et de la fin de la guerre contre l’Etat Islamique. Cette annonce fait suite à l’achèvement de la dernière opération d’ampleur dans le désert de Jézirah et à la reprise par les forces de sécurité irakiennes du contrôle de l’ensemble de la frontière entre l’Irak et la Syrie. La victoire militaire sur l’Etat Islamique ne signifie cependant pas la fin des opérations militaires ni strictement la fin des combats. Des poches terroristes subsistantes en Syrie En Syrie, le long de la frontière irako-syrienne, Daech contrôle encore quelques poches que les forces de sécurité syriennes s’attachent à réduire. Les combats y sont encore intenses, notamment dans le nord-ouest d’Abou Kamal, sur la rive orientale de l’Euphrate. EFFORT DE LA COALITION Poursuite du soutien aux forces locales En Irak, l’effort de la coalition porte sur le soutien aux forces de sécurité irakiennes actuellement impliquées dans des opérations de sécurisation et de stabilisation. En Syrie, la coalition poursuit son soutien aux forces démocratiques syriennes engagées dans des combats contre plusieurs poches terroristes restantes situées sur la rive orientale de l’Euphrate. Préparation de la période hivernale pour les réfugiés Avec l’arrivée de la période hivernale, la coalition s’attache à mettre en place les conditions permettant aux nombreux réfugiés et déplacés de passer l’hiver dans les meilleures conditions possibles. Ces opérations sont dirigées par le général Parisot, Senior National Représentative français, dont l’une des attributions est également de diriger la cellule en charge des actions civilo-militaires de l’état-major de l’opération Inherent Resolve. Dans ce cadre, trois C-17 américains ont récemment acheminé de l’aide humanitaire à Raqqa qui reste néanmoins infestée d’engins explosifs improvisés malgré les travaux de dépollution en cours. ACTIVITE DE LA FORCE la Task Force Wagram en appui des dernières opérations de sécurisation La Task Force Wagram poursuit son appui aux opérations de sécurisation menées dans la vallée de l’Euphrate. Cette semaine, deux missions de tirs ont été réalisées au profit des forces de sécurité irakiennes (bilan du 6 au 10 décembre). Depuis le début de sa mission, la TF Wagram, a réalisé 1589 missions de tirs. Activité aérienne Cette semaine, l’activité aérienne s’est concentrée sur des missions de renseignement au profit des forces de sécurité irakiennes et des forces démocratiques syriennes. Elle a donné lieu à 20 sorties aériennes (bilan du 06 au 10 décembre). Au cours de ces sorties aucune frappe n’a été réalisée. Bilan total depuis le 19/09/14 : 7561 sorties / 1422 frappes / 2209 objectifs neutralisés.’

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced being active in unspecified parts of Syria until December 11th, 2017.


Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 33
  • (16 children6 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • 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

Sources (19) [ collapse]