Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS313 RS1266

Incident date

September 15, 2016

Location

ميادين, Al Mayadin, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

35.01982, 40.45154 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what was widely reported as a Russian action, at least 27 civilians died and more than 70 were injured following airstrikes on Al Mayadeen.

Almost all sources including Daesh blamed Russia. Deir Ezzor is Being Slaughtered said 6 Russian planes carried out 20 strikes between them, including on a children’s playground. Shaam News added that “Activists said the Russian air force targeted several areas in the city with cluster bombs, which spread over large areas near the National Hospital and the School of Abdul-Jabbar Al Obeid and near al Rahba fortress and the garage area downtown.”

However the Syrian Network blamed the Assad regime for the attacks. And while only one minor source blamed the US-led alliance for the attack, on September 9th the Coalition had leafleted al Mayadeen warning of impending airstrikes.

In their May 2020 civilian casualty report, 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:

Family members (2)

Family members (3)

Summary

  • Strike target
    Hospital, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27 – 40
  • (9 children4–8 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    70
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Coalition leaflets dropped on al Mayadeen on September 9th had warned of impending airstrikes (via SOHR)
  • Basem Mohammad al-Hmaidi (via VDC)
  • Anas Fadel al-Shaker (via VDC)
  • 1- Salem Horan al Manfi 2- Maher Shuja al Jinah 3- Souad al haj mustapha al Haj Khalaf [the mother of Maher Shuja al Jinah] 4-Baseem Mohammad al hamidi 5- a woman from Obeid al Nijm family 6-the child Sara Omar al Bahash 7- Malek al Misha’al 8- child, daughter of Malek al Misha’al 9- child, daughter of Adnan al Misha’al 10-Anas Fadel al Shaker 11-Riyadh al Mukhlef 12- Yazen Ibrahim al Said 13+14 two children, daughters of Za’im al Tweir 15- the daughter of Anwar al Nawfal 16-the son of Mohamad Kamal al Hamdan 17-Mohammad Saleh al Juma’a 18- the child Asra’a Abd al Jalil Al Ismail 19+20 two children, the daughters of Adnan al NAsser 21- Mouzahem al Shaker 22- Ahmad al Mukhlef 23- Humaidan Mahmoud al Talij (via Deir Ezzor 24)
  • Image of remnants of cluster ammunition fired by government warplanes on Al Mayadeen city in Deir Ez-Zour governorate, September 15, 2016 (via SNHR)
  • Translation: activists - coalition raid on al Mayadeen targeted a school housing displaced people and another raid targeted the medical centre leaving 50 dead and injured (via Khabarko)
  • the leaflets read: “the coalition raids are coming to destroy bridges in this area. Stay away from the bridges and the roads leading to it. The coalition doesn’t want to harm civilians so for your safety leave the bridges and the roads leading to it” (via lccsy facebook)

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
    37SFU317758
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 1, 2020

  • Sept. 15, 2016, in Al Mayadin, 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. 3045/CS313 37SFU317758

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For September 14th-15th the Coalition reported: “Near Dayz Az Zawr, one strike destroyed an ISIL oil well head and an oil tanker truck.“

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike target
    Hospital, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27 – 40
  • (9 children4–8 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    70
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (28) [ collapse]