Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Sixteen civilians including six children and seven women died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Barounda village, according to local sources.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) – who blamed the Coalition – initially reported the death of three non-combatants. Step News Agency also put the death toll at three – however, a subsequent report by RBSS said that the number of victims had increased to 16, with most of them displaced from Al Sukhna.
The Violations Documentation Center was among the sources blaming the Coalition. It named 13 victims. Further victims were named by other sources.
RBSS also published an image of a woman.There is no named on the photo but one of the comments says ‘May God have mercy on Umm Saddam’so’, she is Saddam’s mother. It puts the death toll at 16.
RFS also said that 16 civilians died with dozens more wounded and blamed the Coalition, reporting that civilian homes were targeted resulting in widespread destruction.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, six children and six women were among the 16 killed by Coalition missiles.
Sawarim [IS propaganda] referred specifically to “US raids”.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Family members (9)
Family members (3)
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Barouda (البارودة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.8965073, 38.8007712. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (32) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]
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The children Ghezlan, Rose, Ibrahim, Ahlam, Angham Sadam al Nayef were among those killed in the allaged Coalition raid on Al Barouda, May 23rd/24th (via SN4HR)
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Issa al Moussa al Hamoud, killed in an allaged Coalition airstrike on Al Barounda village, May 23/24the (via RBSS)
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 22nd-23rd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, two vehicles, a weapons cache; and damaged an ISIS supply route.” It later additionally added that on May 22nd “Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a VBIED, and a front-end loader.”
For May 23rd-24th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions and a mortar system." It added that on May 23rd "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes destroyed eight command and control nodes and destroyed a VBIED facility."