Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS860

Incident date

May 24, 2017

Location

المراقة, Al Mraka, Raqqa, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported the death of “Mohammed Al-Thiab and his entire family and the old woman Sabha Al-Hajji” in an alleged Coalition airstrike on their home in Al Mraka village.

According to Alaraby, “A man and a woman were also killed and others injured after a raid by the International Coalition in Al Mraka village east of the city of Raqqa.”

Al Raqqa Truth named the victims.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammed Al-Thiab Al-Hamdan
Adult male killed
Sobha al-Haji [Umm Khalif]
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2 women)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

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 Al Mraka, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

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 also later noted that “Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes destroyed eight command and control nodes and destroyed a VBIED facility” and that “Near Raqqah, Syria, May 23, two strikes destroyed three command and control nodes.”
For May 24th-25th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 15 strikes [1 British] engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; and destroyed five fighting positions, four ISIS dump trucks, four vehicles, two artillery systems, a front-end loader, and a weapons cache." For May 24th it added that "Near Raqqah, Syria, May 24, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed six fighting positions, a mortar system, and a vehicle."

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

"Wednesday 24 May – a Reaper attacked near Raqqa, whilst Tornados prosecuted four Daesh targets in Mosul…A Reaper, conducting surveillance south-west of Raqqa on Wednesday 24 May, kept watch on a small group of terrorists and was able to conduct a successful attack with a Hellfire missile. In Mosul, when advancing Iraqi security forces found themselves facing two buildings defended by a Daesh heavy machine-gun, a sniper team and at least one individual in a suicide-bomb vest, they called for assistance from a flight of Tornados. Our aircraft delivered a very precise simultaneous attack with two Paveway IVs which destroyed both terrorist strongpoints. The Tornados then hit a third terrorist position, again with a Paveway, whilst a second flight bombed a fourth position."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2 women)
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]