Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS915

Incident date

June 4, 2017

Location

حي الدرعية, Dar’iya, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.947222, 38.991389 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians including one child and two women died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Dari’ya, according to local media.

Radio AlKul reported that four people from one family were killed in a Coalition raid.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “a woman, her daughter and her mother were killed as a result of bombing by the international coalition’s warplanes yesterday on places in Al-Dar’eiyah area in Al-Raqqah city.”

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported artillery shelling on post office area, while the Shaam News Network said that Coalition strikes occurred alongside “heavy artillery and rocket fire.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Turki al Sheikh al Afnan
Age unknown male named by Al Ragga Truth as a victim of a Coalition strike on Raqqa, though it’s currently unclear which neighbourhood he was killed in. killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child2 women)
  • 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 (8) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Daraiya, Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV987796
    Military Grid Reference System

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 June 4th-5th the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and five vehicles.” In addition it reported for June 4th that “Near Raqqah, Syria, five strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed 49 boats, five fighting positions, three anti-air artillery systems, two tactical vehicles and two ISIS staging areas.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child2 women)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]