Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS830

Incident date

May 16, 2017

Location

ﺍﻟﻄﺒﻘﺔ, Tabaqah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.8373, 38.54811 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian male was reportedly killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes in Tabaqa, according to the Violations Documentation Center in Syria.

The man was named as Waddah Gassan al Qassas by both sources.

No further details are available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Waddah Gassan al Qassas
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Waddah Gassan al Qassas (via VDC)
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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Tabqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For May 15th-16th, the Coalition reported: “Near Tabqah, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions and a tactical vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]