Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1949

Incident date

September 29, 2020

Location

جديد عكيدات , Jadid Akidat, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.257075, 40.357393 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that a civilian was killed and two others were wounded when the US-led Coalition forces and SDF undertook a landing in Jadid Uqaydat in Deir Ezzor on September 29th, 2020. Two other people, described as oil merchants, were reported arrested as a result of the operation.

The killed person was named by local sources as Faisal Al-Khalfu, nicknamed Dakar. Another version of the name and the nickname was also circulated as Faisal Al-Hussein, nickname Abu Marar. The two arrested people were named as Ghannam Al-Mahmoud Al-Haloush, and his nephew Kamel Hisham Al-Haloush.

Local sources said the operation aimed at looting civilians’ money under the accusation that they were affiliated with ISIS.

Furat Syria reported that “During the last hours of the dawn today, Tuesday, intense gunfire took place in the neighborhoods of the town following a landing by helicopters that were flying over civilian homes. The shooting during a raid on some houses killed one person and wounded two others, in addition to the arrest of two people from the town. Faisal al-Khalafu, Abu Marar, aged 50, was killed during the raid, and two others were wounded during the clash. US forces also arrested Ghannam Mahmoud Al-Haloush and Kamel Hisham Al-Haloush on charges of belonging to ISIS.”

@OIRSpox tweeted saying that this operation is part of keeping up the pressure on ISIS and that the US-led Coalition removed what it described as three terrorists from Jadid Uqaidat. However, Euphrates eyes said that the killed person, Faisal Al-Hussein, was a civilian and didn’t affiliate with any party.

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.”

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

50 years old male Nicknames: Dakar and Abu Marar killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Jadida Akidat (جديد عكيدات), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.257075, 40.357393. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Post Translation: SDF militia kills the civilian Faisal Al Hussein from the Jadid Akidat, aka Abu Marar, and steals the money of civilians under the pretext that they belong to ISIS.

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known 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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV234023
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 10, 2021
  • Sep. 29, 2020, in Jadid Akidat, 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. 3287/CS1949 37SFV234023

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

OIR Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto
@OIRSpox
@CMOC_SDF and @CJTFOIR are keeping up the pressure on Daesh. Early this morning we removed three terrorist fighters from Jadid Uqaydat, Syria. Together, we’ll keep fighting to keep Syria safe from Daesh. #defeatdaesh

Syrian Democratic Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Syrian Democratic Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (8) [ collapse]