Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS887

Incident date

May 29, 2017

Location

الغراوي, Gharawi, Raqqa, Syria

Airwars assessment

Four civilians including a mother and her child were reportedly killed by Coalition strikes, according to local reports.

Several outlets, including Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered reported that four civilians were killed in Gharawi amid Coalition airstrikes and artillery fire from Kurdish forces. RBSS named the victims.

Tabaqa Media Center reported that a mother and child were among the dead, presumably Mazeh and Hameed.

The Syrian Network confirmed that 4 were killed in the village – among them 2 children and a woman.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Adel Mahmoud al-Jassim al-Ghadeer
17 years old male killed
Mazeh Mohammed Saleh al-Ghadeer
26 years old male
Hameed Hajji Jassem Al-Ghadeer
2 years old male killed

The victims were named as:

Ahmed Ali al-Balikh
50 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • 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 (13) [ 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 Gharawi, 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 28th-29th: “Near Raqqah, eight strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles, two VBIED factories, two VBIED facilities, and an ISIS mechanical facility..” It additionally reported for May 28th that “Near Raqqah, Syria, four strikes destroyed a weapons cache, an ISIS staging area, and three fighting positions.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]