Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS864

Incident date

May 26, 2017

Location

ميادين, Al Mayadin, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.016667, 40.444167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 12 civilians died in a fresh round of Coalition airstrikes on Al Mayadeen, according to local sources.

Euphrates Post reported that “the warplanes launched five air strikes at approximately 2 am today [May 26th], a time difference of nearly three hours from the first raids that left three martyrs and a number of wounded on the city of Mayadeen.” It said that the raids were distributed “on the vicinity of the roundabout near the party building and Street Forty, the vicinity of the Saraya and the vicinity of the Nuri Said hospital – the same site targeted by the first raids”. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrikes

Other locations of the strikes were named by Euphrates Post as:

Al-Arbaeen Street from the Agricultural Bank

The park near the party square

The vicinity of the water tunnel

Syria News Desk put the death toll at five civilians three of them children, with 22 more injured, adding that strikes were on residential sites.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights “warplanes of the International Coalition renewed their bombing on Al-Mayadin city around 1:30 am Friday”. It put the number killed at 12, including five children and five women.

@YAlsarout2 put the death toll at 14, however – also pointing to the Coalition – said that as many as 14 non-combatants were killed.

@affairsyrian said that 35 died, though it was unclear whether this was on the 26th or across the 25th too.

Aletihadpress reported that in two days of air strikes on Al Mayadeen, 50 civilians died – but according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this latest round of strikes brought the number killed to 106, of which 42 were children.

 

The incident occured at 01:30:00 local time.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Mayadin (ميادين), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.016667, 40.444167. 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
    5 – 12
  • (1–5 children1–4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (19) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Al Maydin, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU324762
    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 25th-26th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed seven ISIS oil trucks, four ISIS barges, an ISIS well head, a command and control node, and an ISIS headquarters.“
For May 26th-27th, the Coalition reported: "Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed four ISIS well heads and destroyed an ISIS boat." For May 26th it added that "Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, one strike destroyed 10 ISIS oil separators and an ISIS well head."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 12
  • (1–5 children1–4 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (19) [ collapse]