Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS517

Incident date

February 21, 2017

Location

السحامية, Al Sahamiya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.023470, 39.738922 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between five and nine civilians including three chilren died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Sahamiya village, Raqqa, according to local sources.

Baladi, Euphrates Post, the Shaam News Network and Step News Agency all blamed the Coalition.

Raqqa is being Slaughtered Silently – whICH also attributed the incident to the Coalition – reported “that an entire family were martyred after a poultry farm in the village of Al Sahamiya was bombed in the eastern Raqqa countryside – and they are: Hamadi Saleh al Baladiya, his wife, his children, the mother of his wife, her two brothers and her sister”.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that at least five non-combatants – including three children and one woman – from the same family died in a Coalition strike.

Smart put the death toll higher, at nine, with eight more wounded – though they didn’t identify the culprit.

Likewise, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights didn’t identify the warplanes responsible, but reported that five died including two children and a woman in raids.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Hamadi Saleh al Baladiya
Adult male killed
Hamadi Saleh al Baladiya's wife
Age unknown female killed
Hamadi Saleh al Baladiya's children
Age unknown Unknown how many children killed
Hamadi Saleh al Baladiya's mother in law
Adult female Killed with her brother and sister killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Sahamiya (السحامية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.023470, 39.738922. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (3 children1–2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: raqqa - 16 martyrs in warplane shelling on eastern raqqa countryside - 8 killed in al Sahamiya village and 8 in al Fatatish village.
  • Translation: Raqqa: The death toll in raqqa today is 28 martyrs: 8- from the village of Fatatish east of raqqa 8 from the village of al Sahamiya 1 from Ja’abar 11 from Maadan.
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 Al Sahamiya (Raqqah), Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV0832076391
    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 20th-21st, the Coalition reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions, a VBIED, a garage, an IED and a weapons facility; and damaged a bridge.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (3 children1–2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]