Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between 7 and 13 civilians including two women and two children died and 12 more were wounded in an airstrike which hit near the Faculty of Agriculture building in Hussayniya. Between 6 and 9 ISIL fighters were also said to have died.
While most sources attributed the incident to the Coalition – with some specifically blaming the US – others said that warplanes belonging to the Syrian regime were responsible.
According to the Step News Agency, which put the death toll at 12, warplanes “bombed the crossing between the swimming pool and Nadi Al-Muhandessen. The raids targeted the Agriculture Directorate, 100 meters from a crossing. The strike occurred while IS was crossing a IS checkpoint, killing at least six members of IS, destroying two cars and killing seven civilians including two children.”
Shariqya added that the raids led to “the collapse of a four-storey building adjacent to the agriculture building, which fell on a number of civilian carpenters who were on their lunch break.”
Euphrates Post initially reported that Tariq Ahmad al-Assaad was killed but later reported that he was found alive after he had “managed to emerge from the rubble and went to his home where, it is should be noted, his family was holding a condolence and funeral for him.”
Cyberman and Samidon specifically blamed the US, putting the number killed at 13, while Syrian Mirror reported that the Coalition had carried out several strikes with 12 rockets.
However, Jisr TV and Smart blamed the regime, with the latter reporting: “The activists pointed out that seven civilians were killed and others were wounded by the bombing of the agricultural building in the village of Hussayniya by warplanes likely belonging to the regime. The activists pointed to the absence of an ISIL headquarters in the building”.
Some other sources did not identify the culprit, referring only to “warplanes”.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (3)
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incidents mention the town of Al Hussayniya (الحسينية), Deir Ezzor governorate, for which the coordinates are: 35.358889, 40.151111. The ‘Faculty of Agriculture’ (كلية الزراعة) is often mentioned in reports. This could hence be the possible location of the incident. The coordinates for Al Hussayniya’s Faculty of Agriculture are: 35.35166667, 40.15416667.
Summary
Sources (29) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Tariq Ahmad al-Assaad, initially reported as killed in an alleged Coalition raid on Husseiniya, however, it was subsequently reported that he dug his way out of the rubble and returned to his home (via Euphrates Post)
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. (1338)
Original strike reports
For April 16th-17th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, nine strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine ISIS oil equipment items, five well heads, and one vehicle; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”
For April 17th-18th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed four ISIS well heads, a command and control node and an ISIS vehicle.”