Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Coalition raids on the village of al Hammadi resulted in the deaths of up to eight civilians, including three children and five women. The US-led alliance later accepted responsibility for at least four deaths.
The village in the area of Abu Hamda is located close to the Iraqi-Syrian border and according to Al Khabour, is only the size of ten houses. In July 2018 the Coalition conceded killing four civilians in the event, noting: “During a strike on Daesh-held building, four civilians were unintentionally killed.”
Most sources shared a list identifying the victims of the strikes.
Hasaka Marsad confirmed the death of three children named as Qais, Ahmad and Maryam and included photos. According to the media outlet, the airstrike that hit the house of their grandfather was admitted by the Iraqi military. The report went on to say that “Baghdad” had “targeted one of the headquarters of the Islamic State.”
That report is however alone in identifying the Iraqi air force as the culprit. Most likely, Hasaka Marsad is basing this on a video tweeted by the Iraqi Defense Ministry allegedly showing an air strike by an F-16 on an ISIS HQ “in the area of Dashaisha”.
Although al Hammadi is located in this general area, a specific date or a more precise location of the strike is not mentioned in the video – making it difficult to asses whether or not this is related to this incident.Iraqi strikes within Syria were also considered Coalition actions by this time.
Ahmed Hammad al-Assaad, head of the Jabour clan in southern Hasaka, told Step News that the victims were from the same family who were in their house when they were targeted by the alleged Coalition strike. He stressed: “The situation is not safe for civilians, the final victim of all parties, and US aircraft bombed the homes of civilians who have nothing to do with or belong to any party…
“We want to stop the continuous indiscriminate shelling of innocent people and parents, and ask for accuracy if and should be bombed, civilians have become the easiest target for the coalition aircraft, whose goal is clear to all is the killing and displacement of the people of the region indiscriminate hit, and we call for opening ways to aid the wounded because of the closure by the forces Kurdish control of the region.”
Hassaka Youth Union posted photos and an al A’amaq propaganda video (which was also shared in a tweet by Iinews), allegedly showing destruction after the raids.
In July 2018 the Coalition accepted responsibility for the event, noting: “May 11, 2018, near al-Hamadi village, al-Hassakahh, Syria, via social media report. During a strike on Daesh-held building, four civilians were unintentionally killed.”
The Coalition provided Airwars with the location of this incident, accurate to within a 100 metre box.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (8)
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
The coordinates given to Airwars by the Coalition in relation to this incident are: 36.02223, 41.17403 (Military Grid Reference System: 37SFV959886), defining an area of 100 m
Summary
Sources (27) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]
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Scene of destruction at Hammadi, Syria, after a Coalition strike killed up to 8 civilians on May 11th 2018 (via Hassakah Youth)
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Scene of destruction at Hammadi, Syria, after a Coalition strike killed up to 8 civilians on May 11th 2018 (via Hassakah Youth)
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Photo of the destruction after an alleged Coalition bombardment on the village of Al Hammadi (via Hassaka Youth Union)
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A recovered munition fragment from Hammadi, Syria, after a Coalition strike killed up to 8 civilians on May 11th 2018 (via Hassakah Youth)
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Two of the children killed in a Coalition strike on Hammadi, May 11th 2018 (via al Hassakah Arabea)
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The grandsons of Ahmed Aziz, killed in an alleged Iraqi airstrike on the village of Al Hamadi (via Hassaka Marsad)
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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May 11, 2018, near al-Hamadi village, al-Hassakahh, Syria, via social media report. During a strike on Daesh-held building, four civilians were unintentionally killed.
Original strike reports
For May 11th, the Coalition reported that “On May 11 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of six engagements against Daesh targets.... Near Al Shadaddi, one strike engaged one Daesh tactical unit and destroyed four Daesh-held buildings."