Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS608

Incident date

March 22, 2017

Location

رطلة, Ratlah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.882222, 39.048611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians died and ten were reported injured in a claimed Coalition aerial attack on Ratla village, according to a single source.

Smart News reported that “A local source told Smart the bombing targeted the village of Ratla, killing four civilians and wounding ten others, without details of the cases of the wounded and the hospitals that were transferred to them.” Micro Syria repeated the same allegation.

The report coincided with a major aerial assault on the area around al Tabaqa Dam by SDF and Coalition forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • (via CJTFOIR)
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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Ratla village, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV043708
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 27, 2018
  • 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 March 22nd-23rd: “Near Ar Raqqah, eight strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed two tactical vehicles, a fighting position, and a heavy transport equipment piece; and damaged four supply routes.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]