Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS226

Incident date

June 11, 2016

Location

‏الهدهد‬, Al Hadhad, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.5729748, 38.0092192 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Ten civilians from the same family were reported killed in an alleged Coalition strike on the village of Al Hadhad, as fierce fighting continued to evict so-called Islamic State forces from areas around Manbij. The Syrian Human Rights Committee also named some of the dead.

Based on the available information, Amnesty International is concerned that the strikes on al-Hadhad on 11 June appear to have been carried out by Coalition forces and that necessary precautions to positively identify a military objective were not taken and may have resulted in an indiscriminate attack that killed civilians,” the international NGO noted in a report issued October 2016.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mahmoud al Ahmad al Khattaf
Adult male killed
Adult female Mahmoud al Ahmad al Khattaf's mother killed
Mohammad
Age unknown male Fawzia's son killed

Family members (5)

Wife of Dr. Mohamamd al Ahmadi
Adult female killed
Dr. Mohamamd al Ahmadi's daughter
Age unknown female killed
Dr. Mohamamd al Ahmadi's sister
Age unknown female killed
Dr. Mohamamd al Ahmadi's sister's son in law
Age unknown male killed
Dr. Mohamamd al Ahmadi's sister's son in law
Age unknown male killed

Family members (4)

Age unknown male killed
Ahmad Mahmoud al Khattaf's wife
Age unknown female killed
Ahmad Mahmoud al Khattaf's child
Child killed
Ahmad Mahmoud al Khattaf's child
Child killed

The victims were named as:

Wafi
Age unknown male From Thibat killed
Yahya
Age unknown male son of a lawyer killed
Wife of Ahmad Al-Ahmad
Age unknown female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Hadhad (‏الهدهد‬), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.5729748, 38.0092192. 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
    10 – 11
  • (2 children4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    28
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Urgent: the martyrdom of an entire family made up of 8 people, women and children, as a result of coalition raids on the village of al Hadhad at the eastern entrance of the city of Manbij.
  • Translation: Aleppo countryside #Manbij 10 people from one family killed due to raids by the International coalition on the village of al Hadhad. All the victims as displaced from the village of al Khattaf.
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 Talisati, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 10th-11th 2016 the Coalition reported that “Near Manbij, eight strikes struck seven separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 11
  • (2 children4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    28
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]