Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1955

Incident date

January 9, 2021

Location

العزبة, Al Azbat, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.321848, 40.307980 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A 7-year-old child was killed and his mother and brother were injured when an alleged US-led Coalition mortar shell hit the family’s home in the town of Al Azbat, Deir Ezzor governorate, on January 9th, 2021. Local sources reported that the incident occured during a military training near the Coalition base near the Koniko oil field.

According to a Euphrates Post correspondent, “a mortar shell landed in a house in the vicinity of the Koniko oil field base, east of Deir Ezzor, during training of the American forces.” The source added that the “the shell landed in the house of the civilian Hani Hussein Al Toukan, killing his son Ahed and seriously injuring his wife and other son, Fahed.” The US forces reportedly brought the victims to a nearby medical point.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights wrote that “a child was killed and his mother was injured, as a result of an unknown explosion near their house in the Azbat area north of Deir Ezzor city, Koniku Oil, where the International Coalition forces and the SDF conduct joint military exercises.”

Several other sources wrote that the civilian house was targeted. @SyriawatanNews, for example, tweeted that “the ‘American occupation’ forces present in the Koniko oil field targeted the town of Ezbet in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor with mortar shells, killing a child and wounding others.”

@SalamaAlhussein tweeted that it was not the village of Al Azbat that was hit, but the village of Khasham. All other sources mentioned Al Azbat village.

In a civilian casualty assessment released April 16th 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 local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Ahed Hani Al Toukan عهد هاني الطوكان
7 years old male killed
Wife of Hani Hussein Al Toukan زوجت هاني حسين الطوكان
Adult female mother of Ahed Hani Al Toukan injured
Fahed Hani Al Toukan فهد حسين الطوكان
Child male injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Al Azbat (العزبة) area, south of the Conoco Oil Refinery, for which the generic coordinates are: 35.321848, 40.307980. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected targets
    Other, Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: “The child Ahed Hani Al Toukan was killed and all his family members were injured when a mortar shell fell on his home in the village of Khasham, east of Deir Ezzor, from the Coalition forces stationed in the Koniko field, where a patrol of the American forces brought the child and his mother to the hospital” (via @SalamaAlhussein).
  • The boy Ahed Hani Al Toukan was killed when his home was hit by an alleged US-led Coalition mortar shell in Al Azbat on January 9th, 2021 (via @SalamaAlhussein).

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 Azbat, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV188095
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 16, 2021

  • Jan. 9, 2021, in al Azbat, 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. 3293/CS1955 37SFV188095

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected targets
    Other, Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]