Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS873

Incident date

May 27, 2017

Location

رطلة, Ratlah, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.882222, 39.048611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least 17 civilians – reportedly displaced persons – were killed when buses transporting them were hit by Coalition airstrikes according to local reports.

The Syrian Observatory reported that 18 people were killed in Coalition airstrikes in the vicinity of al-Kasrat, of whom at least 10 members of ISIS. The Observatory said that some attacks hit buses on the road between al Kasrat and Ratla village.

Smart News put the death toll at 17 and said the Coalition strikes hit public buses transporting civilians south of Raqqa city. Many other outlets cited the figure of 17 or 18, and gave similar accounts.

Baladi News had a higher death toll of 20, and said that others were injured when the buses were attacked. Masaida said there were women and children among the dead, and added that 20 were injured.

Unusually no victims were named.

In its December 2017 civilian casualty report, the Coalition confirmed that “During a Coalition strike which destroyed an ISIS headquarters building it was assessed the three civilians were unintentionally killed.” However officials have refused to provide co-ordinates for the event, meaning that we cannot presently determine whether this was incident S763; S765; S766; S767; S768 or perhaps a new event.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ratlah (رطلة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.882222, 39.048611. 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
    8 – 20
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (28) [ 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV0433771223
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 1, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

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.“
For May 27th-28th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 15 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed six fighting positions, three ISIS headquarters, an ISIS staging area and a VBIED."
For May 27th it added "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed a six fighting positions, an ISIS-held building and a weapons cache."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • 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 (28) [ collapse]