Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS520

Incident date

February 21, 2017

Location

معدان, Ma'adan, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.751769, 39.61639 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eleven non-combatants died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Maadan town in the Raqqa countryside, according to local media.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported a “massacre” by the Coalition which killed 11 members of “the family of Satif Hussein al Suwairi“.

Both the Shaam News Network and Baladi also reported the death of 11 from the same family, blaming the Coalition. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – also pointing towards the Coalition – put the death toll at nine including women and children.

The Violations Documentation Center listed 11 victims (all adult males) – killed in a Coalition strike – as Family of Steif Husein al-Soweiri

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ma’adan (معدان), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.751769, 39.61639. 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
    11
  • 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 (13) [ 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
    a:1:{i:0;s:20:"no_coalition_strikes";}
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Ma’dan (Raqqah), Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV5455156948
    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.” For February 21st-22nd, they reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, 10 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions and three tactical vehicles; and damaged two bridges.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]