Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1843

Incident date

November 19, 2018

Location

حويزية, Huweiziya village, al Shadadi, Al Hassakah, Syria

Airwars assessment

According to local sources, 13-year-old Ali Matar al-Hammad was killed by a cluster bomb that was left behind after previous bombing on the village of Hweiziyah in rural Shaddadi, south of Hasaka. Several sources including Step News Agency blamed the Coalition. 

However according to a number of tweets from amongst others @Syria_News5 and @SyriaNewsNetwrk, the cluster bomb was left behind after clashes between SDF and Daesh. 

The Coalition is not known to have used cluster munitions in Syria – indicating that the remnant munition might also have come from prior Syrian government or Russian military actions.

In its monthly civilian casualty report for October 2020, the US-led Coalition asserted that “that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ali Matar al-Hammad
13 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (11) [ collapse]

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
    in al Shadadi, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    38RQV021296
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 29, 2020
  • 14.Nov. 19, 2018, in al Shadadi, Syria, via Airwars. 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. 3234/CS1843 38RQV021296

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For November 19th, the Coalition publicly reported: On Nov. 19 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets.
Near Hajin, six strikes destroyed five supply routes.

[Note however that this report relates to a remnant munition from a previous military action]

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (11) [ collapse]