Geolocation
Airwars assessment
At least two civilians were killed in a Coalition strike along the road between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, according to local reports.
Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered reported the death of a man along with two others “following a Coalition raid on the main road between Raqqa and al Mansoura.”
Radiokull reported a higher figure of 5 killed along the road, but did not identify any of them.
The Syrian Observatory meanwhile reported only the death of one man along the roadway, but also blamed the Coalition. Other accounts put the death toll at 2, including a report posted by Tabaqa Media Center which identified a second victim.
In April 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting: “After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Basel Sheikh al Theeb, alleged killed in Coalition forces shelling on Abu Qbea’ village in Raqqa on May 26th 2017 (via SN4HR on May 26th, 2017).
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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May 26, 2017, near road between Raqqah and al-Mansoura, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.
Original strike reports
For May 25th-26th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, nine strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed six fighting positions, three vehicles, a tactical vehicle, and a mortar system” and “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 Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven vehicles, five fighting positions, three tunnels, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS staging area."