Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS403

Incident date

December 5, 2016

Location

الجرنية, Al Jarnia, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.16054, 38.23337 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A reported Coalition airstrike on the local water company killed at least five workers, according to sources.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered reported that “three people working at the water company in al Jarnia – one of them the water manager – were killed in international coalition raids targeting the company today.” Baladi News placed the death toll at seven, while Syria Post reported ten deaths. Pro-regime website JP News reported that “Coalition warplanes killed the workers in the water company thought those workers are not ISIS member, and they had been working there even before ISIS was found 3 years ago.”

Syria News Desk cited local activist Mohamed Osman, quoting civilian sources from the village: “The wounded were taken by villagers to the National Hospital in Raqqa, after raids resulted in the destruction of a large civic building institution, in addition to the destruction of an apartment building nearby and other property.”

In an emailed response to a report submitted by Airwars on this and other incidents in December 2016, Coalition officials requested additional information concerning the alleged event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Issa Al Hassan
Adult male director of the water company killed
Mohammed Hmeed Al-Hussein
Adult male killed
Ahmad Hammoud Al-Hilal
Adult male killed
Mohammed Al-Isa Al-Hussein
Adult male killed
Khaled Al Haj Abed
Adult male killed
Hussein Al-lous
Adult male killed
Umar Al Ahmad
Adult male killed
Abdur-Rahman Mohammed Al-Tis’an
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (8 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–12
  • 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 (23) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Omar al Ahmad al Omar (via RBSS)
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 Jarniyah (Raqqah), Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDA3112002021
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 29, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For December 4th-5th 2016 the Coalition reported that ” Near Ar Raqqah, three strikes [1 British with others] engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a weapons production facility, a vehicle, and a bulldozer.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (8 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10–12
  • 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 (23) [ collapse]