Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS494

Incident date

February 15, 2017

Location

طريق بلدة الكرامة, Al Karama Road, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.1334383, 40.0465393

Airwars assessment

A single source reported the deaths of two civilian truck drivers in a Coalition airstrike.

According to Smart News “Two people were killed on Wednesday, in raids by international coalition aircraft on the eastern countryside of Raqqa… Sources said that international coalition aircraft targeted two trucks being used to transport oil, loaded with more than 340 barrels, on the road to the town of Karama, east of Raqqa coming from al Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor, which led to burning them, killing a truck driver and his assistant while the second driver survived and the operations to put the fires out are still underway.”

No additional details are presently known.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

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 February 14th-15th 2017, the Coaliton reported that “Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed five oil pump jacks, five oil wellheads, three oil storage tanks, two oil refinement stills and an oil tanker truck…. Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters; and damaged two supply routes and a bridge.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]