Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS807

Incident date

May 12, 2017

Location

الثورة‎, Tabaqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.8295049, 38.5360909 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians from one family and an additional person died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the Third neighbourhood of Tabaqa, according to local media.

SheroAlo1 said that “the family of the media activist Wassim Abdou“, died in a Coaltion strike, adding that the victims were still under the rubble.

According to Etihad Press – “a member of the coordination of the Kurdish brotherhood” – was killed along with his wife and daughter. Again, the source pointed towards the Coalition, as did Al Hassaka Rasd.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported the deaths of a man and “his wife and grandson”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mohammed Abdo Manan
Adult male killed
Wife of Mohammed Abdo Manan
Adult female killed
The Grandson of Mohammed Abdo Manan
male killed

Family members (3)

Wassim Abdou
Age unknown male killed
Wife of Wassim Abdou
Adult female killed
Daughter of Wassim Abdou
Age unknown female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Tabaqah (الثورة‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.8295049, 38.5360909. 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
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The family of media activist Wassim Abdo killed in the alleged International Coalition attacks on their house in Tabaqah, May 12th (via @SheroAlo1)
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 Tabqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV580669
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • 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

US-led Coalition

For May 11th-12th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, 11 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, seven tactical vehicles, a vehicle and a supply cache.”

For May 12th - 13th, the Coalition reported: "Near Tabqah, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tactical vehicle and a vehicle"

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

‘Thursday 11 May – Typhoons attacked three targets in eastern Syria, as well as a truck-bomb factory north-west of Raqqa. Tornados also struck six times in Mosul…On Thursday 11 May, a pair of Typhoons, armed with Paveway IVs, destroyed a truck-bomb staging area some fifteen miles north-west of Raqqa, while another pair supported the SDF in eastern Syria, hitting a mortar team and two Daesh-held buildings near Al Ulwah. The same day, two flights of Tornados patrolled over Mosul, using Brimstone missiles against two Daesh positions very close to Iraqi troops. A further Paveway IV eliminated a mortar in a courtyard, and three more Paveways cratered roads along which Daesh might have tried to move truck-bombs along.’

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1–2 women2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]