Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS575

Incident date

March 14, 2017

Location

Various locations, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.9505639, 39.0094148 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven non-combatants including three children died and five others were wounded in an alleged Coalition airstrike on various locations in Raqqa governorate, according to a single source.

The Smart news network reported that “seven civilians were killed including of three children, and five others were injured, including women, following raids on the town of Al Karama (25 km east of Raqqa) and the villages of Al Ghassaniya, Jadidat al Khabour and Kleib. The injured were transported in boats to the South Bank to Al Tabaqa national hospital, according to local sources.” Smart said that the strikes had “likely” been carried out by the Coalition.

Al Ahed published a report which was mostly identical to Smart’s, though it said that the news came from militant sources.

Shaam News Network and Asharqiya Voice also reported that the Coalition carried out raids on Al Karama, though made no mention of civilian casualties.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ 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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near various locations in Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 27, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 13th-14th: “Near Ar Raqqah, six strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed four fighting positions, an ISIS-held building, and a vehicle; and damaged two supply routes.”
For March 14th-15th: "Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two mortar systems, an ammunition cache, an ISIS-held building, and a weapons cache."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (3 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]