Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS208

Incident date

May 5, 2016

Location

ﺣﻠﺐ, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.197971, 37.1656697 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident previously unknown to Airwars, the Coalition announced on December 1st 2016 that it had assessed a claimed incident ‘near Aleppo’ on May 5th – but that no strikes had been conducted in the vicinity.

According to the Coalition release, “May 5, 2016, near Aleppo, Syria: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographical area.

The only possible external match found by Airwars researchers was a report citing the Syrian Observatory as saying that “a civilian was killed in Western Aleppo due to opposition shelling a few minutes after the beginning of the ceasefire.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Aleppo (ﺣﻠﺐ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.197971, 37.1656697. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
    near Aleppo, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 1, 2016
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographical area.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reports for May 4th-5th 2016 that “Near Mar’a, three strikes struck an ISIL logistics facility, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility and an ISIL ammunition storage center.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]