Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS354

Incident date

October 30, 2016

Location

الرقة‎, Mashlab, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.9505639, 39.0094148 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources, including Halab Today TV and Al Amawi News, reported the death of a child and the injuring of this father in a coalition raid on the al Mashlab neighborhood east of Raqqa.

Smart News reported strikes in Raqqa targeting ISIL, which it said killed four militants. It said the death of the child and injuring of this father occurred in “a similar night time bombing.”

Raqqa Post added that the strike also “left considerable material damage.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Mashlab (الرقة‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.9505639, 39.0094148. 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
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (8) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mashlab neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV046777
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 26, 2018
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 29th-30th, the Coalition reported “Near Ayn Isa, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed a heavy machine gun, a fighting position, a vehicle, and an anti-aircraft weapon system.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]