Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1711

Incident date

January 10, 2018

Location

البوكمال, Abu Kamal, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

34.438611, 40.915556 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to Lawhat Bukmalna, “Coalition air strikes targeted several positions of Iranian groups in the city of Abu Kamal. There were reports of civilian deaths”.

Lawhat Bukmalna went on to report that the following sites were struck:

Near al Hajana

Near the school of Zeinab

The Tuweiba area

The Mosque of al Mustafa

The area of Dbei’aa

Al Hamdan, al Ghabra and al Sayyal.

The following were also listed as killed: “the family of Abdul Razzaq Al Mulla Rashid. More than 30 dead from Assad and Shiite militias”.

The same family was named by Souriyati, which likewise attributed their deaths to the Coalition.The source reported: “Coalition aircraft shelled Iranian positions located inside and around the city of Albu Kamal 10/01/2018. We learned from sources in the vicinity of Abu Kamal that US-led Coalition aircraft dropped leaflets demanding the forces of Hezbollah and Shiite militias leave the border crossing within a few days or else it will be subjected unprecedented shelling and annihilation”. It went on to report “bombing of several Iranian posiitons located in the city of Abu Kamal and its countryside”.

Baladi also said that “a whole family” was killed by the Coalition, as did Al Jisr TV

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Abdul Razzaq Al Mulla Rashid
Adult male killed
Unknown family member
killed
Unknown family member
killed
Unknown family member
killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • 'The International Coalition targets the headquarters of the regime forces and its militias in the city of Abu Kamal with dozens of air strikes during the past week.'
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 Abu Kamal, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU759124
    Military Grid Reference System

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

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.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]