Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Three civilians reportedly died and three were injured in an alleged Coalition strike at al Tabaqa.
The victims were said to be from Qaryatain in Homs, with Step News, Shaam News Network and Euphrates Post reporting that they died while collecting wood. Syria News Desk instead said the trio died when homes were struck.
In an emailed response to a report submitted by Airwars on this and other incidents in December 2016, Coalition officials said the event was presently assessed as ‘Not credible.’ A second review published in August 2017 asserted that “After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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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
For December 5th-6th 2016, the Coalition reported that “Near Ar Raqqah, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed a fighting position.”