Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Up to six civilians including two children and two women died, and as many as five civilians were wounded, in an airstrike on the Bado neighbourhood of Raqqa, according to local media, though reports were conflicted as to whether this was the work of the US led Coalition or Russian warplanes.
Palmyra Media Center reported “Coalition planes targeted a Daesh warehouse behind Abu al A’laa al Ma’ari school. The school was damaged as a result of the air raid and was used to house displaced people from Palmyra, al Sukhna and al Tabaqa”.
Another report by Palmyra Media Center named a female as a victim of a Coalition strike which hit a “a bakery belonging to Daesh near Abu al A’laa al Ma’ari school.”
RFS Media Office, RBSS and Syria PC reported that the strikes targeted several points in the city of Raqqa but centred around a school and a water resources building in al-Ma’ari, which both were rendered inoperable. Areas around ِal-Idikhar street were also hit, RFS added.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently initially reported an unspecified number of deaths and injuries following a Coalition strike on the Bado neighbourhood. However, a subsequent report alleged that this was a Russian strike. Further reports by RBSS put the death toll at six, “mainly women and children” and named a young girl as killed.
Photographs were published by RBSS of the aftermath, showing destruction to buildings and local infrastructure.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights also attributed blame to Russia, putting the death toll at five including a girl and two women. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Shaam News also said that Russia had carried out raids on Raqqa.
Sharqiya Voice reported the death of two women and a child by “warplanes”, though it didn’t identify them. According to Alaraby, “warplanes targeted the Al-Thanaka neighbourhood opposite to the stadium in Al-Bado neighbourhood, killing three civilians and wounding five.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention a warehouse behind the Ma’ari school (مدرسة المعري) in the Badou neighbourhood in Raqqa. The coordinates for the Ma’ari school (مدرسة المعري) are: 35.9621355, 39.0097957. On satellite imagery a building that looks like a warehouse can be seen behind the school, damaged between January 7 and May 18, 2017. The images published by RBSS clearly show the collapsed roof of this building and the water tower east of the warehouse. The coordinates for the warehouse are: 35.962769, 39.009272.
Summary
Sources (25) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Amina Al-Mufdi, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on the Al-Bado neighbourhood in Raqqa, March 24th 2017. (via SN4HR) -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Amina Al-Mufdi, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on the Al-Bado neighbourhood in Raqqa, March 24th 2017. (via Al Ragga truth) -
The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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The aftermath of an alleged Russian raid on a warehouse behind Ma'ari school, Bado neighbourhood, Raqqa, 24th March 2017. (via RBSS)
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 24th-25th: “Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles, and a weapons storage facility; and damaged a supply route.”
Russian Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
Russia has not reported any specific strikes between March 1st - 31st 2017.