Conflict

U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Incident Code

CS558

Location

الكرامة, Al Karama, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.86808, 39.277394
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: S489)

One named civilian and a possible second victim were reported killed in a Coalition airstrike (or possible SDF artillery strike) on al Karama.

According to Asharqiya the strike hit at or near a clinic in the town. And the |Syrian Observatory said that “A person was killed by bombing by warplanes believed to belong to the International Coalition on areas in al-Karama town in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah yesterday.”

A young male victim was named by Raqqa is Being Slaughtered as Juma’a Mahmoud Hamad al Hito. Qasioun reported the death of two civilians – though according to Smart News these were the result of SDF shelling of the town.

A report by the New York Times includes a quote from a Special Operations official who acknowledged its strike cell had hit targets in the town on March 8 and killed 16 fighters, but denied that any civilians had died. It is unclear if the official is referring to this incident or CS561 which occurred in the same town on March 9.

Victims

Individuals

Juma’a Mahmoud Hamad al Hito
Child male killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Civilians reported killed
1–2
1 Child
Civilians reported injured
1
Military actors reported killed
16

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Karama (الكرامة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.86808, 39.277394. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
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.” For March 8th-9th, the Coalition reported that “Near Ar Raqqah, nine strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed three weapons caches, two mortar systems, an artillery system, an ISIS training center, a vehicle, a VBIED, and a fighting position.”
Syrian Democratic Forces Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Syrian Democratic Forces
Syrian Democratic Forces position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (2)