Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Six civilians including up to 5 children died in a reported night time Coalition strike at Ahtemlat in Aleppo governorate. Graphic images showed the bodies of at least two infants being recovered.
According to the Syrian Observatory, “SOHR activists were informed that no less than 4 IS including a commander were killed by aerial bombardment by the U.S led coalition warplanes during the last 24 hours around the strategic town of Dabiq, the aerial bombardment also killed 6 civilians including children. No less than 12 IS were killed by aerial bombardment targeted Dalha and Hor areas in the northern countryside near the Turkish borders.”
In its July 2017 monthly report, the Coalition classed the event as non credible on grounds of available evidence of civilian harm: “May 7, 2016, near Ahtemlat, Syria, via Airwars report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”
Given the well documented nature of this event – and the existence of a video showing casualties – Airwars continues to assess this event as likely.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the town of Ahtemlat (احتيملات), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.56556, 37.25067. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (14) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
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Translation: Al A’maq agency (ISIS propaganda): 1 person and 5 children killed following US strikes on the village of Ahteimlat in the northern Aleppo countryside (via Ibrahim al masry)
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Translation: The result of US raids on the town of Ahteimlat in the northern Aleppo countryside: one person killed and 5 others injured, all muslims, by US raids on Ahteimlat in the northern Aleppo countryside (via AlWalaa’ and al Bara’a)
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Translation: 5 children and one woman killed and livestock destroyed following coalition bombing of the town of Ahteimlat (via Syria-Rebels).
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.
Original strike reports
The Coalition reports for May 6th-7th 2016 that “Near Mar’a [Aleppo governorate], three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL command and control node, and ISIL headquarters and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL fighting position.”