Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1951

Incident date

October 16, 2020

Location

المجيد أو المجبل, Al Majid or Al Majbal, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.504595, 40.656100 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A possible civilian male was killed in an alleged US-led Coalition airdrop operation in the village of Al Majbal or Al Majid, Deir Ezzor governorate, on October 16th, 2020. While some local sources reported that the man was a civilian, others wrote the man was suspected of being affiliated with ISIS or a previous member of pro-Turkish factions. Two other civilians, including a woman, were reportedly injured.

Al Khabour reported that the Coalition operation targeted the house of Al Hawash Al Trifin in Al Majbal village, around 2 AM on October 16th. An hour later, Al Hawash, reportedly a civilian, was arrested.

According to Al Khabour, the civilian Asad Suleiman Al Sawadi was killed “with a direct bullet wounding him in the neck, killing him immediately, as he stood in front of his window.” The operation reportedly lasted until 5 AM.

According to a DeirEzzor24 correspondent, “the operation resulted in one death, two injuries, including a woman, and one arrest, in addition to the bombing of an abandoned house in the village”.

The DeirEzzor24 report also stated that four Coalition helicopters carried out the operation with a joint Coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ground force. The Coalition “called on the people through loudspeakers to stay at their homes and not to leave them, and to separate women and children from youths and men”.

JisrTV wrote that the operation targeted people suspected to be affiliated with ISIS, “while one of the wanted persons was killed while trying to arrest him”, adding that “SDF forces carried out raids in a number of houses, combing them, and blew up a house”.

The official spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve (@OIRSpox) tweeted on October 16th: “This week Iraqi and Syrian partners did 32 #defeatDash operations, saving local communities from 41 #Daesh terrorists”.

Zengin wrote that the operation “led to the death of a person and the injury of his wife, who was a former member of the ranks of the pro-Turkish factions.”

In its January 2021 monthly civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition determined this event to be ‘non credible’, asserting: “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 between 2:00 am and 5:00 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Adult female injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a residential building being struck within the village of Al Majbal (المجبل) or Al Maijd (المجيد), allegedly within the Suwar (صور‎) subdistrict. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Suwar are: 35.504595, 40.656100.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Assad Yassin Al Sawadi was killed in an alleged joint US-led Coalition and SDF airdrop operation in Al Majid or Al Majbal on October 16th, 2020 (via Euphrates Eye).

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 Majid, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV501302
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 6, 2021
  • Oct. 16, 2020, in Al Majid, 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. 3289/CS1951 37SFV501302

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (9) [ collapse]