Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS659

Incident date

April 4, 2017

Location

هنيدة, Hunaida, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.83234, 38.69938 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Smart News Agency reported that “a local source in the village of Hunaidah in rural West Raqqa said four civilians were killed and 11 wounded following raids by the coalition. The injured people were taken to an IS run hospital in the western countryside, but the location was not specified.”

Marobobuzer, also blaming the Coalition, put the death toll at 13.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hunaida (هنيدة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.83234, 38.69938. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 13
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Hunaida, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV728653
    Military Grid Reference System

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 3rd-4th, the Coalition reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.”
For April 4th-5th, the Coalition reported: "Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; and destroyed three fighting positions, three vehicles, a mortar system, a rocket system, and an excavator."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 13
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]