Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS508

Incident date

February 19, 2017

Location

Khatouniya & Salhabiya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.940907, 38.7607956

Airwars assessment

One civilian died and two others were injured in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the villages of Khatouniya and al Salhabiya, according to a single source.

Smart reported that “a local source said Coalition aircraft bombed the villages of Khatouniya and Salhabiya in the western Raqqa countryside which resulted in the killing of one civilian and injuring two shepherds in the area one of them is in a serious condition.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ 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 Khatouniya and Salhabiya (Raqqah), Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV8059978590
    Military Grid Reference System

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 18th-19th, the Coalition reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, 10 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed four oil storage tanks, three fighting positions, two ISIS-held buildings, two vehicles, a weapons cache, an oil refinement still and a communications station.” For February 19th-20th, they reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS headquarters, a vehicle, a command and control node, a VBIED, a VBIED facility, an artillery system, and a tunnel.”

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]