Conflict

U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

CS1722

Location

الشعفة, Al Sha'afa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.57888, 40.93441
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S1527)

Local sources reported that between 17 and 59 civilians were killed in the village of Al Sha’afa. According to a tweet by @syrians, most of the casualties were women and children. The US military has admitted to killing two civilians in the attack.

Radio al Kul and Free Deir Ezzor both stated specifically that 17 non combatants died at al Sha’afa. Step News Agency only makes mention of the destruction of “many buildings, houses and shops.” Other sources may have included the dead from S1526 in their tallies.

In a reply to a query by one of our researchers, Sound and Picture stated that the airstrikes started on the night of February 5th and continued until the morning of February 6th. This was later echoed by Zamanal Wasl. All sources mention the Coalition as the culprit.

It is important to note that Baladi News and Zamanal Wasl identified Al Amaq, the propaganda wing of so-called Islamic State, as their main source.

In the Department of Defense’s 2022 annual report on civilian casualties (1057 report), released April 25, 2024, the US military admitted that two civilians were killed in the strike.

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Status
Declared strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Confirmed
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
17–59

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Sha’afa (الشعفة), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.57888, 40.93441. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For February 5th the Coalition reported: “On Feb. 5 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets. • Near Abu Kamal, six strikes [1 British] engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed two staging areas, an ISIS motorcycle, a fighting position and a VBIED." For February 6th the Coalition reported: "On Feb. 6 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets. • Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed two ISIS supply routes, a tunnel entrance and a weapons cache."
French Military Strike Report
The Wagram Task Force continues its support security operations in the Euphrates Valley. This week, two firefighting missions were carried out for the benefit of the Iraqi security forces. This week, the air activity provided intelligence and support missions for the Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces. It resulted in 28 sorties (assessment from 31 January to 6 February) during which a strike was conducted in the Abu Kamal area in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting the last pockets of Daesh in the valley of the Euphrates.
Dutch Military Strike Report
For January 31st-February 6th, the Dutch MoD reported its F-16s released four munitions in the vicinity of Abu Kamal: on ISIS fighters, a storage facility and artillery positions. Jets provided support to ground troops in 12 missions, including in the Iraqi provinces Nineva, Salah ad-Din and As-Sulaymaniyah.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2024-04-25
Original Source
06 FEB 18 Al Sha’afa, Dayr az Zawr Province, Syria, air, 2 civilians killed

Media from Sources (1)