Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS898

Incident date

June 1, 2017

Location

بقرص, Bokros, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.07028, 40.41959 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Coalition reportedly struck an ISIL weapons depot in the Al Ta’as area of Bokros town. Sources said that member of ISIL were killed – however only one report mentioned civilian casualties.

Sharqiya Voice reported that there were aftershocks following an air raid (but didn’t say who carried it out), and an explosion which “shook the area”. It reported an unspecified number of civilian casualties and that ISIL had cordoned off the area, preventing people from accessing it.

According to RFS, “An international air strike on Thursday targeted an arms depot belonging to the Daesh in the town of Bokros, east of Deir Ezzor, killing four members of the organization.”

Shaam News Network reported that “Warplanes of the International coalition launched air strikes targeting an ammunition depot in the town of Bokros in the eastern countryside followed by the sound of explosions.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Bokros (بقرص), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.07028, 40.41959. 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
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Damage at Bokros following a reported Coalition strike which may have harmed civilians (via Euphrates Post)
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 Bokros, Syria
    Nearest population center

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 31st-June 1st, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, seven strikes destroyed four ISIS well heads, four ISIS oil tanks, an ISIS oil truck, an ISIS oil storage tank and an ISIS oil storage trailer.“
For June 1st-2nd, the Coalition reported: "Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed six ISIS well heads and five ISIS oil trucks."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (8) [ collapse]