Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS846

Incident date

May 21, 2017

Location

مزارع الروضة, Mazare al Rawda, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.958611, 39.02 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian man was reportedly killed and a number of others injured by alleged Coalition airstrikes in Raqqa city.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently and Al Raqqa Truth named the victim who was from the Rumaila neighbourhood, and have provided a photo of him.

Both sources, alongside the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, alleged that the Coalition was responsible for the airstrike.

No further details are currently available.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Jassem al Hamdoush al Moh
Adult male from the Rumaila neighbourhood killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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]

  • Jassem al Hamdoush al Moh who was killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike in Raqqa on May 21st, 2017 (via RBSS post on May 22nd, 2017).
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 Mazare al Rawada, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV019793
    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 20th-21st, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two vehicles, an ISIS staging area and a construction vehicle.” It also later reported that additionally on May 20th “Near Raqqah, Syria, one strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS staging area.”
For May 21st-22nd, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 13 strikes [1 British?] engaged 12 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 11 fighting positions, nine vehicles, two supply caches, a mortar system, an ISIS headquarters; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit."

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

"Sunday 21 May – Typhoons destroyed a weapons stockpile on the outskirts of Raqqa, Tornados dealt with a sniper and a heavy machine-gun in Mosul… The latter hit a further pair of targets in Mosul on Sunday 21 May, eliminating a sniper and a heavy machine-gun team. On the eastern outskirts of Raqqah, Typhoons destroyed a weapons stockpile."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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]