Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1710

Incident date

January 10, 2018

Location

السوسة, al Soussa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.528889, 40.9675 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several civilians were killed and injured in alleged Coalition airstrikes on al Soussa, local media claimed.

According to Euphrates Post, “The daughter of Jassem al-Aziz was injured as a result of air strikes targeting one of the orchards in the town of al Soussa yesterday [January 10th].” Euphrates Post didn’t identify the culprit, though Qasioun pointed to the Coalition.

Damascus News Network reported that “a number of civilians were martyred and wounded by a US-led International Alliance aircraft in strikes on the village of al-Sousse in the eastern suburb of Deir al-Zour.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Daughter of Jassem al-Aziz
Child female injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of al Soussa (السوسة), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.528889, 40.9675. 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
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (3) [ 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
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

On January 9th-10th, the Coalition reported: “Near Abu Kamal, 26 strikes engaged 25 ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS vehicles, a fighting position and a logistics center.”

Unknown
  • English
    /
    Original

"Wednesday 10 January – a Reaper hit three terrorist targets in eastern Syria, whilst Tornados destroyed an armed truck…The following day [January 10th], another Reaper worked closely with coalition surveillance aircraft and fast jets in a series of strikes in support of the SDF advance. Our aircraft supported coalition air attacks on a Daesh-held building and a mortar position, and conducted three attacks with its own Hellfire missiles, destroying an armed truck parked under cover of a vehicle shelter, and hitting two groups of terrorists on foot. A flight of Tornado GR4s also took part in this operation, and targeted an armed truck positioned within a compound; the use of a Brimstone missile allowed the vehicle to be destroyed without posing a risk to nearby buildings."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]