Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS917

Incident date

June 4, 2017

Location

أبو النيتل, Abu al Naital, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.455, 40.68048 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and three civilians died in a Coalition airstrike on Abu al Naital, local media reported.

In September 2019 the Coalition accepted responsibility for this incident. Their monthly civilian casualty report noted: “Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of the strike.” The United States later claimed responsibility for the action.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “warplanes believed to belong to the international coalition bombed places in the village of Abu al-Nitel in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor and targeted oil burners, destroying a large number of them, killing a man and injuring others. The warplanes also targeted places in al-Sor area, but there is no information about causalities so far”

However, multiple sources named a male as a victim of a Coalition strike on “oil burners” (primitive refineries in the area. DeiralzuPN added that Al Qubaisi’s son was also seriously wounded in the raid.

Qasioun put the death toll higher, at three (with others wounded) – and also blamed the Coalition.

In May 2020, in its annual civilian harm report to Congress, the Pentagon declared this to have been a US action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohamamd Al Qubaisi
Age unknown male killed

Geolocation notes

Prior to the Coalition releasing the MGRS for this incident, Airwars had geolocated it to the nearest neighbourhood/area at 35.458889, 40.677222

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Table from May 2020 Pentagon report to Congress, conceding additional US civilian harm events in Iraq and Syria during 2017.

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    1
  • Stated location
    in Abu al Naital, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV525248
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 29, 2019
  • June 4, 2017, in Abu al Naital, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of the strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 4th-5th: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed 90 ISIS oil barrels, 10 ISIS oil refinery stills, five vehicles, four ISIS oil separation tanks and three ISIS well heads.”

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (13) [ collapse]