Incident Code

CS1921

Location

ريف المهندسين الأول, Rif Al Mouhandessen Al Awal, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.094532, 36.961419
Accuracy: Exact location (via Airwars)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: CS1921)

A confirmed Coalition strike with high-explosive missiles against Al Qaeda at Rif Al Mouhandessen near Aleppo on the afternoon of June 30th is also locally reported to have injured at least two children and two women, and killed a number of foreign AQ-linked fighters. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the strike was carried out at 4.20 pm, exactly.

According to Step news, a total of seven injured people were evacuated including the two children and two women, in addition to the bodies of three men. Step News added in a later post that the number of casualties had risen to eleven people but did specify the number of dead or wounded or their combatant status.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights initially reported that eight commanders and fighters were killed but in a later post added that the number had risen to nine. According the source, the victims included two Algerians, two Tunisians, one Egyptian and a Syrian commander in addition to 14 wounded who attended a meeting when the building they were in was struck with rocket shelling. The source added that it wasn’t clear whether the shelling was carried out by the International Coalition or by Russian missiles.

Alarabiya reported: “The US-led coalition said Monday its jets carried out strikes in northwest Syria a day earlier that a monitor reported had killed eight extremists, including commanders, from an al-Qaeda-linked group.

‘This operation targeted AQ-S operatives responsible for plotting external attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians,’ US Central Command said in a statement, using an acronym for Al-Qaeda in Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, earlier said six commanders were among the slain extremists from the Hurras al-Deen group.”

Among those killed militants were Abu Omar, Tunisian, and Abu Dujana, Algerian, leaders of the organization according to Mena Monitor. @jalaysalshuhada reported that Abu Omar was a Tunisian member of the Shura Council and a judge in the internal judiciary of the organization.

Mena Monitor added that among the wounded militants were Abu Yahya al-Masri and Abu Dhar al-Masri.

On March 10, 2022 in the CJTF-OIR Civilian Casualty Report, the Coalition reported this incident to be “non-credible”, stating that “After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

Key Information

Country
Strike Type
Airstrike
Strike Status
Contested strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
0–11
Civilians reported injured
4–7

Geolocation Notes

Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 36.09453, 36.96142

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Open incident
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
near Aleppo, Syria
Location accuracy
1 m
MGRS coordinate
37SCV1647596357
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2022-03-10
Original Source
Jun. 30, 2019, near Aleppo, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 3218/CS1921 37SCV1647596357
Russian Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Russian Military
Russian Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (8)