Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1980

Incident date

March 28, 2022

Location

ذيبان, Thiban, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.005020, 40.513045 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one man was killed and another was arrested during a joint airdrop operation carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Coalition on March 28, 2022. Sources were conflicted as to whether the man killed was a militant or a civilian.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the Coalition forces and helicopters carried out a raid at a house of a suspected ISIS member in Al-Litwah neighbourhood in Thiban city. After refusing to surrender, the man was killed and his house was blown up. Al Khabour identified the name of the man to be 35 year old Abdul Salem Al-Abo.

According to Euphrates Post, the SDF asked the man to surrender over loudspeakers after they had surrounded him and he was hit by helicopter fire after he tried to flee, which resulted in his death. The source also pinpointed his house as being near the al-Rudaini Mosque and added that his house was blown up with explosive devices by the SDF after his family was evacuated.

Local media @YusufAd76532779 tweeted that Abdul Salem Al-Abo’s father was arrested during the operation and that Abdul “returned from Turkey about five months ago and settled in the town of “Theban” and smuggled oil from the areas controlled by the PKK/PYD militia to the areas controlled by the Assad militia west of the Euphrates River (Shamiya)”.

Tweets from @NourYoussef111 and @WestAsia21, in addition to reporting from regime-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency, referred to a civilian being killed during the operation but it is unclear if they are referring to Abdul.

All of the sources that reported on the incident referred to the operation as being a joint operation between the SDF and the Coalition, with Euphrates Post specifying that the operation was carried out by a helicopter belonging to the International Coalition forces accompanied by a drone and a ground force from the SDF on the ground.

In a civilian casualty assessment released November 3, 2023, the Coalition classed this event as ‘non credible’, claiming that “Based on a thorough review of all available information, it was determined that any potentially corroborating operation affected only legitimate military targets, with no civilian casualties.”

The incident occured at 01:00:00 local time.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Thiban (ذيبان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.005020, 40.513045. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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 target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (27) [ collapse]

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 3, 2023
  • March 28, 2022, near Thiban, Syria, via Airwars report. Based on a thorough review of all available information, it was determined that any potentially corroborating operation affected only legitimate military targets, with no civilian casualties. 3324/CS1980 37SFU3806474645

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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 target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (27) [ collapse]