Geolocation
Airwars assessment
One civilian died and four more were wounded in an airstrike on Dibsi Faraj village, local sources said – though reports were conflicted as to whether the Coalition, Russia or the Syrian regime were to blame.
The journalist Ahmad al Shibl reported the Coalition had been “targeting the main road between Dibsi Faraj and Dibsi Afnan”. He named one victim of a Coalition raid. The man was also named by Al Raqqa Truth, which instead blamed Russia. Mohab Nasser also reported Russian strikes on the village but later said that the regime was responsible for the civilians death.
According to the Step News Agency, “three children and a woman were injured lightly in Russian raids using cluster bombs on the edges of Dibsi Faraj west of al Tabaqa in the Raqqa countryside.” The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that the victim died at the hands of the regime, and Aleppo24 blamed shelling by regime helicopters.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Dibsi Faraj (دبسي فرج), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.91617, 38.23002. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (22) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Abdel Hanan al Ahmad al Faraj was killed in an airstrike on Dibsi Al Faraj on May 8th 2017. (via Al Ragga Truth)
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.
Original strike reports
For May 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, 15 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed eight fighting positions and a vehicle.” It later added that “Additionally, two strikes were conducted in Syria on May 7th that closed within the last 24 hours. Near Tabqah, Syria, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a fighting position.”
For May 8th-9th it stated: “Near Tabqah, eight strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions.” It later added that “Additionally, four strikes were conducted in Syria on May 8 that closed within the last 24 hours. Near Tabqah, Syria, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed a fighting position and a mortar system; and damaged an ISIS supply route.”