Incident Code

CS1774

Location

الحصية, Al Sha'afa, Al Hassya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.614722, 40.933056
Accuracy: Neighbourhood/area

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S1604)

According to local sources, up to eight civilians including four children and two women were killed in a Coalition airstrike on the town of Al Sha’afa.

Most sources reported that 17 people were killed overall, including eight civilians and nine or more ISIS fighters. The Syrian Network for Human Rights added that four children and two women were among the eight civilians who perished. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was the only source stating that 14 ISIS fighters were killed.

According to Al Soussa Youth, the casualties were a result of multiple “international Coalition air raids targeted the town of Al-Sha’afa”. According to the outlet, the first raid was near a car wash. Later, eleven bodies were recovered from the site, four of them civilians.

The second attack targeted a house in the al Hassya area, reportedly killing 4 civilians. The third raid targeted a four-wheel drive vehicle at an intersection at Ramtha. Another attack targeted an ISIS vehicle “near the orchard”. Syria News quoted Syrian state media SANA as identifying the bombed sites as “the Rafa’a al-Sattam complex, the fence complex, the Saeed al-Tawfeh al-Hazza and al-Husayya areas”.

Sound and Picture reported that in addition to the eight civilians that were killed, 14 others were injured in the attack.

According to a correspondent for Radio al Kul, Coalition aircraft dropped leaflets on the “areas under the control of the organization [ISIS] in the eastern countryside of Deir Al-Zour, calling on it to withdraw from the area.”

In correspondence with Airwars, Deir Ezzor 24 provided a list of what it said were eight unidentified civilian victims – including 4 boys, 2 women and an adult male – in “raids by fixed wing aircraft belonging to the international coalition on the town of Sha’afa”.

In September 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible. Their monthly civilian harm report noted, “After a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action.”

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Civilians reported killed
8
4 Children, 2 Women, 1–2 Men
Civilians reported injured
2–14

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention that the alleged Coalition airstrike targeted a car wash and a house in the area of Hassia (الحصية) in the town of Al-Sha’afa, for which the coordinates are: 34.614722, 40.933056. Other areas mentioned in Al Sha’afa include “the complex of spring Sattam, junction fence and Bustan Saeed Al-Hatzah”

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
Other
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
in Al Shafah, Syria
Location accuracy
100 m
MGRS coordinate
37SFU772320
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
The Coalition publicly reported at the time that “On June 21 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of six engagements against Daesh targets. Near Abu Kamal, five strikes destroyed five Daesh supply routes."
UK Military Strike Report
Thursday 21 June – Typhoons bombed a hostile position which persisted in firing on coalition forces in southern Syria...On Thursday 21 June, coalition forces operating against Daesh in the south of Syria were fired on by hostile positions, not believed to be held by Daesh. Although the coalition forces decided to withdraw to attempt to de-escalate the situation, one particular position continued to fire on them. As an act of collective self-defence, RAF Typhoons dropped a single Paveway IV on the position, which successfully removed the threat to our coalition partners.
French Military Strike Report
France report that from June 20th to 26th, Task Force Wagram carried out 14 artillery shooting missions in the Euphrates Valley. A total of 162 have been conducted since the start of the offensive on May 1st. Aircraft carried out 15 sorties but once again no airstrikes were conducted.
Dutch Military Strike Report
Dutch F16's supported ground troops in the fight against terrorist organization ISIS. This occurred during 6 missions above the provinces Al Anbar in Iraq, Al Hasakah and Deir al Zour in Eastern Syria. Weapons were deployed during one mission in the area of Hajin, targeting an ISIS building.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2019-09-26
Original Source
June 21, 2018, in Al Shafah, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action.

Media From Sources (1)