Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS428

Incident date

January 6, 2017

Location

الضبعان, Dabaan, Raqqa, Syria

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were killed in a reported Coalition airstrike on Dabban village in Raqqa governorate.

According to the Syrian Observatory, “the international coalition’s warplanes bombed places in Dabaan area in the countryside of Al-Raqqah, and confirmed information about the death of two people.ISIL also said that “two people were killed in an American raid,” while Shaam News said three civilians died and at least two more were injured. Syrian News Desk said that all of those killed and injured came from the same family.

In a January 12th report, Al Natek noted: “Ibrahim Mukhlif Al Hardan al Shmeilani al A’nzi, 39 years old, has died due to his wounds sustained following coalition raids on al Dabaan village west of Ayn Issa a week ago.”

Jisr TV, who also blamed the Coalition, put the death toll as high as six.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ibrahim Mukhlif Al Hardan al Shmeilani al A’nzi
39 years years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 6
  • 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 (12) [ 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 Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV1042291104
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 29, 2017
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 6th-7th the Coalition publicly reported that “Near Ar Raqqah, 12 strikes [1 British?] engaged eight ISIL tactical units; destroyed 14 oil refinement tanks, seven fighting positions, a VBIED facility, a VBIED, an ISIL-held building, an artillery system, and a bunker system; and damaged two supply routes. Near Ayn Isa, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and an artillery system.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 6
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]