Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Two or more civilians were reported killed and five injured in alleged Coalition strikes on Ratlah and al Aekershi.
According to Smart News, likely Coalition aircraft “launched raids on the villages of Ratlah (about 15 km south of Raqqa city) and al Aekershi (about 20 km east of Raqqa), killing two civilians and wounding five others who were transported by boats to the Raqqa National Hospital, according to a local source.”
The Syrian Mirror reported that “Field Activists said three civilians were killed and six others injured due to aerial bombing and on the towns of Ratla and al A’kershi and they were transferred to the Raqqa National Hospital.“
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (2) [ collapse]
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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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
For March 7th-8th the Coalition stated: “Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes destroyed three fighting positions, two tunnels, a vehicle repair facility, and a tactical vehicle.”