Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS335 TS005b

Incident date

October 11, 2016

Location

تل بطال, Tall Btal, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.50018, 37.43927 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 3 and 4 displaced people were reported killed in camps near Tal Btal, a village south of Ra’i in the Aleppo countryside. It was unclear whether Turkey or the Coalition was responsible.

Ramaf reported that an attack hit a camp, claiming “the lives of three martyrs and [left] more than fifteen wounded as a result of being targeted by Turkish artillery. Ramaf named the three victims.

The ISIS-controlled propaganda unit al Al A’maq Agency reported that four civilians were killed, including a girl “when two tents were targeted with an American raid.”

Only two sources reported on this incident. There are no other known details at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Khaled Ma’rouf
Age unknown male killed
Mahmoud Sheikh Nouri
Age unknown male killed
Mohammad Adel
Age unknown male killed
A female child
Child female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tall Btal (تل بطال), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.50018, 37.43927. 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
    3 – 4
  • (0–1 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military

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 Tal Btal, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 10th-11th the Coalition reported that “Near Manbij, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions and two vehicles.” For October 11th-12th, the Coalition reported “Near Manbij, one strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit” and that “Near Mar’a, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions and a vehicle.”

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (0–1 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]