Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS663

Incident date

April 5, 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

The Smart News Agency reported the death of “an old man” and the injuring of five other civilians following an airstrike on Ratla. The source did not identify the culprit, noting that the injured were taken to a field hospital.

No further details are currently known.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ratlah (رطلة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.882222, 39.048611. 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
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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 Ratlah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 28, 2017
  • 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 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.”
For April 5th-6th, the Coalition reported: "Near Ar Raqqah, two strikes destroyed an ISIS vehicle."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]