Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS922

Incident date

June 5, 2017

Location

البو عاصي, Al Bu A'ssi, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.78392, 38.32796 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two adult male civilians died in an airstrike on Al Bu A’ssi village, according to local media.

Two sources – Baladi and Mohab Nasser – pointed directly at the Coalition, reporting that two non-combatants died in an alleged Coalition raid near a refugee camp. Other sources referred to “warplane raids”, but didn’t identify the culprit.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad al Alewi al Issa al Shahhada
40 years old male killed
Yassin Ahmad al Yassef
49 years old male killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Bu A’ssi (البو عاصي), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.78392, 38.32796. 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
    2
  • (2 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Yassin Ahmad al Yassef, 49 years old, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Bu A'ssi, 5th June 2017. (via Ahmad al Shibli)
  • Ahmad al Alewi al Issa al Shahhada 40 years old, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Al Bu A'ssi, 5th June 2017. (via Ahmad al Shibli)
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 Tabqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV3926860193
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 5th-6th: “Near Raqqah, 24 strikes engaged 18 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 19 boats, 12 fighting positions, eight vehicles, a house rigged with explosives, and a weapons storage facility; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” It additionaly noted for June 5th that “Near Raqqah, Syria, seven strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS staging areas, two fighting positions, a VBIED factory, an ISIS tunnel, an ISIS sentry post, a vehicle, and a command and control node.” And that “On June 5, near Raqqah, Syria, four strikes destroyed an IED factory, an ISIS headquarters, an ISIS financial center, and an ISIS staging area.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Monday 5 June – Typhoons struck a Daesh-held building in eastern Raqqa, whilst Tornados hit two terrorist firing points in a building in Mosul…On Monday 5 June, two Typhoons, supporting Syrian Democratic Forces close to Raqqa, used a Paveway IV to strike a Daesh-held building in the east of the city itself.

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • The @RoyalAirForce is continuing to strike Daesh in Iraq and Syria. (via Ministry of Defence)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 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 (6) [ collapse]