Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS581

Incident date

March 16, 2017

Location

سد الفرات, Euphrates Dam, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.857579, 38.559545 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An alleged Coalition airstrike at the Euphrates Dam near al Tabaqa reportedly killed one named civilian worker.

According to Raqqa is Being Slaughtered, “an air raid launched by the international coalition yesterday on the area around the Euphrates Dam in al Tabaqa killing Hamidi al Abd al Majid al Nayef one of the employees at the dam.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hamidi al Abd al Majid al Nayef
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near the Euphrates Dam, Tabaqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    37Sdv602682
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 29, 2018
  • After a review of available information and the strike video, it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 15th – 16th: “Near Ar Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, an IED, a weapons storage facility, a storage facility, a VBIED facility, a UAV facility, a logistics facility, and an ammunition cache.”
For March 16th – 17th: “Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, a vehicle, an ISIS-held building, and an oil refinement still.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]