Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS460

Incident date

January 26, 2017

Location

الغكة, Al Ghakka, Al Hassakah, Syria

Airwars assessment

Claims that a ‘civilian car’ was targed by the Coalition near al Ghakka were later revised, after reports identified a named ISIL commander killed in the attack.

Initially, al Hassakah Youth Union reported that “Coalition planes target a civilian car in al Ghakka village east of al Shadadi which led to the death of Ahmad al Muobarak and the injury of three others.”

However al Sharqiya identified al Muobarak as an ISIL leader.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Translation: the leader in IS Ahmad Moubarak killed in the village of Fakkat al Shweikh east of al Shadadi after his car was targeted by the coalition.
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
    Other
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Al Ghakkah (Al Shaddadi), Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 29, 2017
  • Airwars rescinded the allegation after additional information revealed that the casualty was an ISIS member.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 25th-26th or January 26th-27th the Coalition publicly reported no strikes in al Hassakah governorate.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]