Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS618

Incident date

March 25, 2017

Location

شعيب الذكر, Shoa'ib Al-Zaker, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.800735, 38.267642

Airwars assessment

One civilian died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on a house in Shoa’ib Al-Zaker, according to a single source.

According to Q_Alenzy, “Coalition warplanes targeted a building in Shoa’ib Al-Zaker and destroyed it completely but there were no reports of casualties.” Only one known source, Newsjorf, documented a civilian casualty, reporting that “one person was killed when a Coalition warplane raided his house in Shoa’ib Al-Zaker in the western countryside of Raqqa.”

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, Syrianpc and Smart news agency all reported a raid by a warplane (sources didn’t identify the culprit), but did not mention civilian casualties.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of an alleged Coalition airstrike on Shoa'ib Al-Zaker, 25th March 2017l. (via Q_Alenzy)
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 Shoa’ib al-Zaker, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV338620
    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 25th-26th: “Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a tactical vehicle, and a mortar system; and damaged a supply route.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]