Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between three and five civilians including two children and one woman died and up to 20 others were injured in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Nayrab, according to local sources. The Coalition later denied involvement.
The Syrian Network said “At least 3 civilians (two children and a woman) died in international Coalition warplanes missiles fired south of Al Nayrab town in Idlib.” Idlib Media Center also said the raids were thought to have been carried out by the Coalition, reporting the death of two children and the injuring of 20 additional civilians.
The United Media Office of al Nayrab later reported that the death toll had risen to five, adding that they were displaced people. It named vicims as Battoual al Ali and Fatima al Ali. And Syria Post said that five civilians died and six were injured when “unidentified planes targeted a building inhabited by displaced people near al Nayrab”.
According to Shaam News, “a huge explosion south of al Nayrab in the northern Idlib countryside left two children dead and dozens of DIPs injured and there are a number missing. The reason for the explosion is not yet known.” A subsequent report provided more detail and attributed the incident to the Coalition: “Activists said the explosion was caused by a Coalition drone targeting a head quarters for Fatah al Sham, south of the town of Nairab, and the nearby civilian areas. The rockets were unique in the strength of their explosiveness and caused devastation 2 km around the area.
“According to the source the explosion caused the martyrdom of three civilians, two children and a woman displaced from rural Aleppo, and wounding more than 15 others, mostly children, who were living in the poultry farms and residential buildings near the targeted site”.
Orient News, which also blamed the Coalition, reported: “Local sources reported that the bombing targeted a former poultry farm now inhabited by a population of displaced people near the town.” It added that the Coalition had earlier “targeted the headquarters of the Al Aqsa army in al Karmid for camp area”.
On March 4th the Coalition confirmed that it was carrying out an assessment into the al Nayrab allegations. On April 30th it concluded: “Jan. 22, 2017, near Nayrab, Syria, via social media report: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 30 km away.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Nayrab (النيرب), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.86955, 36.71867. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (26) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]
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One of the children injured in the air strike (via Idlib Media Centre)
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One of the children killed in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab )
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One of the children injured in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab )
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One of the children injured in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab )
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Aftermath of the airstrike Media Office of al Nayrab )
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Aftermath of the airstrike Media Office of al Nayrab )
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Aftermath of the airstrike Media Office of al Nayrab )
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Batoul and Fatima Al-Ali were injured in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab)
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Batoul and Fatima Al-Ali were injured in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab)
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Batoul and Fatima Al-Ali were injured in the air strike (via The United Media Office of al Nayrab)
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Children injured in the air strike (via Shehab news agency )
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Children injured in the air strike (via Shehab news agency )
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Children injured in the air strike (via Shehab news agency )
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Children injured in the air strike (via Shehab news agency )
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Children injured in the air strike (via Shehab news agency )
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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No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 30 km away
Original strike reports
The Coalition has not publicly reported any strikes in Idlib governorate between 21st and 22nd January. However, unilateral US strikes against Fatah al Sham (al Nusra) targets are no longer reported by CJTFOIR.