Geolocation
Airwars assessment
One woman was killed and two men were reportedly wounded in airstrikes “likely” carried out by the Coalition in Al Thani neighbourhood of Al Tabaqa city, a local source told Smart News Agency. A medical source told the agency that the victims were taken to medical checkpoints in the area.
Baladi also reported that there had been a Coalition strike on the second neighbourhood but didn’t mention civilian casualties.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (2) [ collapse]
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 9th-10th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, seven strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units; destroyed six fighting positions, three vehicles; damaged a fighting position; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”
For May 10th-11th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions.” It further added that “Near Tabqah, Syria, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position, an ISIS headquarters and a VBIED facility.”
From CJTFOIR on May 11th:
‘SAC and SDF Liberate Tabqah
SOUTHWEST ASIA – The Syrian Arab Coalition and their Syrian Democratic Force partners completed the liberation of the Tabqah Dam, as well as the city of Tabqah and its nearby airfield May 10.
The multi-ethnic SDF forced the surrender of Tabqah Dam and the remainder of Tabqah City, continuing the trend of ISIS’s diminished control of territory and people. The SDF has now further isolated ISIS in Raqqah, the terror group’s stronghold, and will continue to pursue the military defeat of ISIS throughout Syria.
“This is yet another victory by the SAC and the SDF, our most committed and capable ground force partners in the fight against ISIS who remain hard at work erasing ISIS from the battlefield, liberating their own people and lands,” said the Coalition Spokesman, Col. John Dorrian.
In Tabqah, the SDF’s increased pressure on ISIS from each flank allowed it to accelerate the pace of the fight, clear the final neighborhoods of the city, and isolate Tabqah Dam. Approximately 70 ISIS fighters conceded to the SDF’s terms, which included the dismantling of IEDs surrounding the dam, the surrender of all ISIS heavy weapons, and the forced withdrawal of all remaining fighters from Tabqah City.
The SDF accepted ISIS’s surrender of the city to protect innocent civilians and to protect the Tabqah dam infrastructure which hundreds of thousands of Syrians rely on for water, agriculture, and electricity.
The Coalition tracked fleeing fighters and targeted those that could be safely hit without harming civilians.
The SAC and SDF liberation of the ISIS stronghold of Tabqah, an operation that began March 22 with a surprise aerial infiltration behind enemy lines to the south of Lake Assad, severs ISIS’s ability to reinforce Raqqah and denies ISIS a key coordination hub that its foreign terrorist fighters used since 2013 to plan local operations and external attacks against the West.
With its seizure, the coalition has prevented a potential humanitarian disaster and ensured local citizens will continue to receive the dam’s basic services.
After ISIS’s defeat in northern Syria, ISIS moved its foreign fighters and external attack planning operations to Tabqah in order to avoid coalition airstrikes within Raqqah. The operation to seize the Tabqah dam, airfield and city disrupts ISIS operations in Raqqah and their ability to defend the city and plan and execute external attacks against the West.
With Tabqah now liberated and Raqqah further isolated, the Coalition and its partner forces continue to hinder ISIS’s ability to reinforce its self-proclaimed capital in Raqqah, prevented a potential humanitarian disaster, and ensured local citizens will continue to receive the dam’s basic services.
“The SDF’s success against ISIS demonstrates the power of working by, with and through local partner forces fighting ISIS, among their own people, in their own territory” said Dorrian. “The SDF, fighting to liberate their own people and lands, have freed more than 8,000 square kilometers of Syria from ISIS since November.”
[In the past week, France reports nine strikes in Iraq and Syria. Eight of them were carried out in the United States and continued to operate in the United States. Wagram Task Force carried out 76 artillery strikes.] Situation of Operations FRENCH ARMY - MILITARY OPERATIONS · THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2017 CHAMMAL ASSESSMENT OF SITUATION In Syria, the flight of the last jihadists entrenched in isolated neighborhoods in the north of the city and on the edge of the dam allowed the Syrian democratic forces (SDF) to liberate the city of Tabqah and its dam. In the Raqqah region, the SDS maintains offensive pressure on Daesh positions around the city to weaken them or detect weaknesses. In Iraq, ISIS is again strongly under pressure from the Iraqi security forces (ISF) in Mosul and is still seeking to compensate for its military setbacks by a resurgence of its harassing actions elsewhere in the country, mainly in the Anbar regions. from Hawijah. In the Mosul region, the week was marked by the resumption of the ISF offensive that opened a new front north of the city. The 9th Division, supported by TF Wagram, has progressed rapidly since its positions around Badush. It has seized all the western suburbs of the city still in the hands of Daesh. After working with the ICTS, she then continued her efforts to reach the banks of the Tigris River and is now looking for progress towards the Medina. In this sector, Daesh is still fighting hard, but it does not succeed in blocking the isolation that is continuing from the south. ACTIVITIES OF THE CHAMMAL FORCE Fire support - TF Wagram The Task Force (TF) Wagram supported this week the 9th Iraqi Division's offensive to seize the western suburbs of the city. It carried out 76 firing missions in support of the Iraqi units, contributing by firing of destruction to the rapid progression of the division between Badush and the urban area, then by firing of illumination and prohibition to the securing of the zone against Daesh's counterattack attempts. Air support to the Levant This week, the aircraft of Operation Chammal made 40 sorties, including 31 armed reconnaissance or ground support (CAS), 1 air command and control, 4 refueling, and 4 intelligence gathering. 9 strikes were made by French planes in Iraq and Syria. 8 of these were conducted in support of ongoing operations in Mosul and Tabqah, and a planned one in Iraq to destroy a site used to assemble and store suicide vehicles.
[In the past week, France reports nine strikes in Iraq and Syria. Eight of them were carried out in support of the ongoing operations in Mosul and Tabqah and a planned strike occurred in Iraq to destroy a site used to assemble and store suicide vehicles. Task Force Wagram carried out 76 artillery strikes.] ‘Point de situation des opérations ARMÉE FRANÇAISE – OPÉRATIONS MILITAIRES·THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2017 CHAMMAL APPRÉCIATION DE SITUATION En Syrie, la fuite des derniers djihadistes retranchés dans des quartiers isolés du Nord de la ville et aux abords du barrage a permis aux forces démocratiques syriennes (FDS) de libérer la ville de Tabqah et son barrage. Dans la région de Raqqah les FDS maintiennent une pression offensive sur les positions de Daech autour de la ville afin de les fragiliser ou de déceler les faiblesses. En Irak, Daech subit à nouveau fortement la pression des forces de sécurité irakiennes (FSI) à Mossoul et cherche encore à compenser ses revers militaires par une recrudescence de ses actions de harcèlement ailleurs dans le pays, essentiellement dans les régions de l’Anbar et de Hawijah. Dans la région de Mossoul, la semaine a été marquée par la reprise de l’offensive des FSI qui ont ouvert un nouveau front au Nord de la ville. La 9e division, appuyée par la TF Wagram, a rapidement progressé depuis ses positions autour de Badush. Elle s’est emparée de l’ensemble des faubourgs Ouest de la ville encore aux mains de Daech. Après avoir opéré sa jonction avec l’ICTS elle a ensuite poursuivi ses efforts pour atteindre les berges du Tigre et cherche désormais à progresser en direction de la Médina. Dans ce secteur Daech oppose toujours une vive résistance sans pour autant réussir à entraver la manœuvre d’isolement qui se poursuit depuis le Sud. ACTIVITÉS DE LA FORCE CHAMMAL Appui feu – TF Wagram La Task Force (TF) Wagram a appuyé cette semaine l’offensive de la 9e division irakienne pour s’emparer des faubourgs Ouest de la ville. Elle a réalisé 76 missions de tir en appui des unités irakiennes, contribuant par des tirs de destruction à la progression rapide de la division entre Badush et la zone urbaine, puis par des tirs d’éclairement et d’interdiction à la sécurisation de la zone face aux tentatives de contre-attaque de Daech. Appui aérien au Levant Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 40 sorties aériennes dont 31 de reconnaissance armée ou d’appui au sol (CAS), 1 de commandement et de contrôle aérien, 4 de ravitaillement, et 4 de recueil de renseignements. 9 frappes ont été réalisées par les avions français en Irak et en Syrie. 8 d’entre elles ont été conduites en appui des opérations en cours à Mossoul et Tabqah, et une planifiée, en Irak, afin de détruire un site servant à assembler et stocker des véhicules suicides.’