Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS907

Incident date

June 3, 2017

Location

حاوي الهوى, Hawi al Hawa, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.95334, 38.91057 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between five and eight non-combatants died in a casualty event in Hawi al Hawa, local media said – though reports were conflicted as to whether the cause of death was a Coalition airstrike or artillery shelling by the US or SDF.

According to the Smart News Agency, “Coalition forces raided the village of Hawi al-Hawa, which is under IS control, west of the city, killing eight civilians, including three children and their mother, and wounding six others. They were taken to a field hospital in al-Raqqa, according to another source.”

But Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that artillery had targeted Hawi al Hawa village killing a displaced family. It didn’t say who was responsible. Aljazeera blamed shelling by the SDF for the death of a family of five.

Baladna and Q_Alenzy didn’t report civilian casualties but said that five members of IS died in a Coalition strike. According to Q_Alenzy, it targeted the home of Abdullah Al Abbas.

In June 2019 the Coalition announced that it had assessed this allegation of civilian harm to be non-credible, noting “After a 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.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hawi al Hawa (حاوي الهوى), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.95334, 38.91057. 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 – 8
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (10) [ 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
    Other
  • Stated location
    near Raqqa, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV919788
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 27, 2019
  • Jun. 3, 2017, near Raqqa, Syria, via Airwars report. After a 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

US-led Coalition

For June 2nd-June 3rd the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 10 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 vehicles, five fighting positions, four tactical vehicles, two VBIEDs and an ammunition cache.” It also later added that on June 2nd “Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions.”
For June 3rd-4th, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 16 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units; destroyed 17 fighting positions, three vehicles, and an ISIS excavator; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit." It added that for June 3rd, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units, destroyed 10 fighting positions, and damaged one ISIS-held building."

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]