Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS1984

Incident date

October 6, 2022

Location

جرابلس, Jarabulus, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.816014, 38.033086 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was injured in alleged Syrian Democratic Forces shelling and/or a declared US airstrike near the banks of the Euphrates River in the city of Jarabulus on October 6, 2022. However, one local source said that 15 people were injured in the incident. Two accused ISIS members were also killed in a strike acknowledged by CENTCOM.

According to the @SyriaCivilDefe, two people were killed by artillery shelling carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces near the banks of the Euphrates River in the city of Jarabulus. The Civil Defense added that they also evacuated a family from the area.

@RadioAlKul and @OrientNews put the casualty toll at one person killed and another wounded. However, @ahmadsafee94 reported that “15 injuries in the city of Jarabulus arrived at Jarablus Hospital as a result of shelling on the city of Jarabulus.”

Baladi News reported that two people were killed and two were wounded by the SDF artillery shelling. He added that the “SDF” also shot dead members of the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) while they were inspecting the outskirts of the city of Jarabulus in the eastern countryside of Aleppo and treating the injured.

A tweet from @idleb_online reported that the shelling was against a car belonging to Turkish mercenaries and it coincided with Turkish artillery shelling against SDF positions in the Zour Maghar area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that SDF was responding to the Turkish fire when they bombed a car with a guided missile on the bank of the Euphrates River near Jarabulus, which led to the killing of two people, one from Baza’a town in the countryside of Al-Bab and the other from Raqqa, and one person was seriously injured.

Later in the day of the strike CENTCOM released a statement that “Today, at approximately 6:32 PM local time in Syria, U.S. forces conducted a successful airstrike in northern Syria, killing both Abu-Hashum al-Umawi, a deputy Wali of Syria, and another senior ISIS official associated with him. Initial assessments indicate no civilians were killed or wounded during this operation.”

Euphrates Post reported that the two ISIS leaders, Hussein Alaa Al-Yasin Al-Fraih, nicknamed “Abu Hashum Al-Omawi” and Abu Ahmad Al-Sarawi, nicknamed “Abu Moaz Al-Qahtani”, were killed in Jarabulus. That aligns this strike with the guided missile attack on a vehicle in the same area.

A defense official told CNN that Abu ‘Ala was one of the top five ISIS leaders and the deputy leader of ISIS in Syria and Abu Mu’Ad al-Qahtani was an ISIS official responsible for prisoner affairs.

The incident occured at 18:32:00 local time.

Geolocation notes (3) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle struck on the bank of the Euphrates (الفرات) in the vicinity of the city of Jarabalus (جرابلس). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources, Airwars has narrowed down the location to the following coordinates: 36.816014, 38.033086.

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  • Imagery:
    Halab Today TV

  • Imagery:
    Halab Today TV

  • Imagery:
    Halab Today TV

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Suspected targets
    ISIS, Turkish Forces
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Hussein Alaa Al-Yasin Al-Fraih, nicknamed "Abu Hashum Al-Omawi" and Abu Ahmad Al-Sarawi, nicknamed "Abu Moaz Al-Qahtani" killed in a declared US airstrike in northern Syria on October 6, 2022. (Image posted by Euphrates Post)

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

TAMPA, Fla. – Today, at approximately 6:32 PM local time in Syria, U.S. forces conducted a successful airstrike in northern Syria, killing both Abu-Hashum al-Umawi, a deputy Wali of Syria, and another senior ISIS official associated with him.

Initial assessments indicate no civilians were killed or wounded during this operation.

No U.S. forces were injured or killed and there was no loss or damage to U.S. equipment in the execution of this operation.

"This strike will degrade ISIS' ability to destabilize the region and strike at our forces and partners," said General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander. "Our forces remain in the region to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS."

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1–2 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–15
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Suspected targets
    ISIS, Turkish Forces
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (23) [ collapse]