Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS707

Incident date

April 18, 2017

Location

معدان, Ma'adan, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.754158, 39.602852 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were allegedly killed and three injured following reported Coalition airstrikes on Ma’adan.

According to Madar News, “likely coalition raids on the town of Ma’adan east of the city of Raqqa killed five people and injured three.” Other sources repeated the same formula.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ma’adan (معدان), Raqqa governorate, for which the coordinates are: 35.754158, 39.602852. 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
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ 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 Ma’adan, 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. (1345)

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 17th-18th the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, seven strikes [1 British] engaged five ISIS tactical units, destroyed three fighting positions and damaged six fighting positions.”

For April 18th-19th the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Monday 17 April – Typhoons struck a further target in Syria, south of Tabqah, and Tornados destroyed a heavy machine-gun in Rawah, western Iraq…On Monday 17 April, the Tornados operated over western Iraq, where a heavy machine-gun had been spotted, concealed within a grove of trees at Rawah. A single Paveway IV destroyed the weapon. Typhoons continued their support to the SDF west of Raqqah, and conducted a successful Paveway attack on a group of terrorists positioned in a treeline to the south of Tabqah.’

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]