Incident Code

CS1926

Location

قرية بكعة في تل حميس, Baka`a Village in the area of Tal Hamis, Al Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.75514, 41.399094
Accuracy: Subdistrict

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

Six civilians were reported killed by an alleged Coalition action in Baka`a Village, Al Hasaka, on August 1st.

Al Khabour News reported that: “The International Coalition forces, backed by elements of the Democratic Unionist Party (BYD), committed a massacre in which six people, including children and women, were killed in the village of Beka`a in the area of ​​Tal Hamis in the province of Hasaka.”

The Khabour correspondent stated: “Two aircraft belonging to the International Alliance landed in the village of Beka`a, before heavy machine guns and rockets hit several houses in the village [….].The bombing led to the death of an entire Iraqi family, after the collapse of the house over their heads.”

According to this source, Coalition forces “withdrew immediately after the destruction of the house, without retrieving any bodies.”

Meanwhile, NSyria News reported that “the anti-terrorist forces of the Syrian Democratic Forces carried out an aerial landing operation supported by the International Coalition in the countryside of the town of Tal Hamis in northern Syria.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “that the anti-terrorism forces, with the support of the international Coalition, carried out an air landing near the Syrian-Iraqi border in the town of Tal Hamis in the countryside of the province of Hasaka.

“The Syrian Observatory confirmed that two members of the family of one of the ‘Islamic State’ cells in the region were arrested, in addition to the sources of weapons in their possession.”

In a civilian casualty assessment released July 10th 2021, the Coalition classed this event as ‘non credible’, claiming that “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.”

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Strike Status
Likely strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
6

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Baka’a (بكعة) within the area surrounding the town of Tal Hamis (تل حميس). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The coordinates for Tal Hamis are: 36.75514, 41.399094

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
37SGA141703
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2021-07-10
Original Source
Aug. 1, 2019, in al Hasaka, 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. 3280/CS1926 37SGA141703

Media From Sources (1)