Incident Code

CS1806

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: S1668)

Up to four civilians including a child were reported killed in Coalition airstrikes on al Sha’afa, according to a number of sources.

The victims were described as internally displaced people (IDPs) by al Sha’afa town’s Facebook page, which noted “Confirmation of the killing of four civilians in Al-Sha’afa in the recent raids on the town. The victims were IDPs in al Sha’afa and include an 11-year-old boy.”

Step News also noted that “Four civilians, including a child, were killed by air strikes by the International coalition aircraft yesterday in the eastern town of Al-Shafa, east of Deir Ezzor.”

Deir Ezzor 24 instead placed the death toll at three civilians killed, though it also blamed the US-led alliance. And Smart News noted that additional civilians were injured in the event: “A local source told Smart that four civilians were killed Thursday, including a child and others received wounds ranging between medium and light, as a result of bombing by the coalition aircraft International on the town of Shaaafa east of Deir Ezzor which is under the control of the Islamic State.”

In the second of their September 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

Victims

Invidivuals

Unnamed boy
11 years old male killed

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
3–4
1 Child
Civilians reported injured
3

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
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
MGRS coordinate
37FSU774280
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
"On Oct. 10 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted 33 strikes consisting of 50 engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, 33 strikes engaged 18 tactical units, and destroyed 15 fighting positions, 11 mortars, two command and control centers, one tech vehicle, and two vehicle-borne IEDs."
Dutch Military Strike Report
[For October 3rd-10th, Dutch F-16s supported ground troops in Syria during nine missions. Weapons were deployed during two missions. The weapons deployment took place in the province of Deir Ezzor, in the vicinity of Abu Kamal. ISIS weapons, a logistics warehouse and ISIS fighters targeted.]
French Military Strike Report
For October 10-16th, France report that the three CAESAR guns of Task Force Wagram carried out, from Iraqi territory, 28 firing missions (lighting, smoke, harassment, destruction). Aircraft made 18 sorties and carried out two airstrikes, north of Abu Kamal in Syria. Totals for Iraq and Syria since Sept 19th 2014: 8564 sorties, 1464 strikes, 2256 targets ‘neutralised’.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2020-09-09
Original Source
Oct. 10, 2018, in Al Sha’afa, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3195/CS1806 37FSU774280

Media From Sources (1)