Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS719

Incident date

April 22, 2017

Location

الرصافة, Al Rasafa, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.62883, 38.75806 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to the Smart News Agency, two workers at the Al Halabi petrol station in the al Mansoura road died in an alleged Coalition airstrike in Al Rasafa.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Rasafa (الرصافة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.62883, 38.75806. 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
    2
  • 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 Al Rasafa, 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. (1361)

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 21st-22nd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 15 strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed a fighting position, an ISIS bridge, a command and control node, and a mortar system.”

For April 22nd-23rd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 10 strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed 24 ISIS oil facility assets and a fighting position.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Sunday 23 April – Typhoons destroyed an armed truck south-west of Tabqah in Syria, while Tornados bombed a Daesh position in western Mosul…On Sunday 23 April, Typhoons assisted the SDF, destroying an armed truck near Tabqah, west of Raqqa. In western Mosul, a Daesh-held building was struck by a Paveway IV, released by a Tornado flight, after Iraqi troops came under fire from the building.’

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]