Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Seven civilians reportedly died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Maysalon Farm, according to local media.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently named three of the victims.
The victims were also named by Q_Alenzy and Syrian PC, which also blamed the Coalition.
According to Mohammed Al-Abbullah, “four young men from the Maysaloun farm died as a result of an air raid carried out by the international coalition aircraft”. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently later reported that five civilians died.
Al Raqqa Truth named four additional victims.
Al Jazeera reported that a woman and her child were killed in the strike.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (17) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]
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Juma’a Al Sha’aban (right), killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Maysalon Farm, April 20th (via RBSS)
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Mohamamd Ali al Abed, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Maysalon Farm, April 20th (via RBSS)
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Hamad Rajab al Jalad allegedly killed in Coalition strikes on Maysaloun farm, north of Raqqah, April 20th (via RBSS)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Maysaloun Farm (مزرعة ميسلون) in Raqqa governorate. The coordinates for the village, north of Raqqa city, are: 36.055761, 38.946362.
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 and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.
Original strike reports
For April 19th-20th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed a front-end loader and a fighting position.”
For April 20th-21st,. the Coaltion reported: “Near Raqqah, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions.”
‘Thursday 20 April – Typhoons supported Syrian Democratic Forces, striking a Daesh-held building north-west of Raqqa, and a mortar team hiding in a tunnel in the east of the country… The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh’s current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian causalities. The RAF assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday 20 April. A pair of Typhoons struck a Daesh-held building to the north-west of Raqqa. The Typhoons then hit a Daesh mortar team hiding in a tunnel in the east of the country.’