Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS368

Incident date

November 9, 2016

Location

خنيز السلمان, Khaniz al Salman, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.24446, 39.02565 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Step News Agency, reported “international coalition planes targeted at noon today, Wednesday 9th of November, the village of Khaniz in the northern Raqqa countryside. There’s news about civilian casualties and a new massacre.”

Step went on to add that “coalition aircraft also launched an air raid targeting the IS security perimeter in the city of Raqqa at dawn today [Nov 9th], killing one civilian and wounding others, including women and children.”

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,  “two persons from one family were killed in shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces and the warplanes of the Coalition on areas at Khniz al-Ghanim village in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqa”.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ 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 information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Khaniz Al Salman, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For November 8th-9th, the Coalition reported “Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL oil well heads and an oil pump” and “Near Ayn Isa, seven strikes engaged six ISIL tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, a vehicle, and a VBIED facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]