Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS669

Incident date

April 7, 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

Smart News Agency reported the death of three civilians inlcuding two children and the injury of four more in an alleged Coalition strike on Rata.

Other sources put the death toll at four including two children, though they did not identify who was responsible for the “raids”.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (13) [ 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. (1294)

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 6th-7th, the Coalition reported: “Near Ar Raqqah, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; and destroyed four fighting positions and a tactical vehicle.”
For April 7th-8th, the Coalition did not report on any airstrikes near Ar Raqqah.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (13) [ collapse]