Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS235

Incident date

June 20, 2016

Location

منبج, Manbij, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.5269242, 37.9559288 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two adult male civilians, named as Mohammad Abdi al Barho, 20 years old, and Ahamad Jaber al Issa, 23 years old, were killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes on Manbij, according to local sources.

Manbij Mother of the World reported that the two men died when Coalition planes struck them while they were on a motor bike in the street. Manbij News also alleged that the Coalition was responsible, as did Aleppo24 and Halab Today. Other sources also named the two men but did not say who carried out the “bombing” in which they died.

The Violations Documentation Center said that they were killed in “air raids”, but did not specify which warplanes carried them out., while the Syrian Network said a Coalition plane had targeted the men using “heavy machine guns” – suggesting a US A-10 ground attack aircraft.

In the second of their March 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Abdi al Barho
20 years old male killed
Ahamad Jaber al Issa
23 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Mohamed Abdi, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on Manbij (via Manbij Mother of the World)
  • Ahamad Jaber al Issa (via Manbij Mother of the world)
  • Translation: Aleppo countryside #Manbij The two young men Mohammad Abdi al Barho 20 years old and Ahmad Jaber al Issa 23 years old killed as a result of coalition plane bombing f the city of Manbij oyesterday afternoon.
  • Translation: the two young men The two young men Mohammad Abdi al Barho 20 years old and Ahmad Jaber al Issa 23 years old killed as a result of coalition plane bombing on the outskirts of the the city of Manbij today afternoon.

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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDA065429
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 25, 2020
  • June 20, 2016, in Manbij, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2978/CS235 37SDA065429

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For 19th-20th June, the Coalition reported: “Near Manbij, 10 strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]