Geolocation
Airwars assessment
An adult male, also an agricultural worker, was named as a victim of an alleged Coalition airstrike on Mahkan town by local media. Sources said that he died from wounds sustained in the strike.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in a report on June 11th, “an agriculture engineer died from injuries he had suffered in shelling by warplanes believed to belong to the international coalition on a bus carrying him in al-Koriyah town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor days ago.”
In February 2019, the Coalition accepted responsibility for this event, noting: “Coalition aircraft engaged an ISIS person of interest in a moving vehicle. At the moment of impact, a separate civilian vehicle passed the target vehicle. Regrettably, it appears that a civilian in the passing vehicle was unintentionally killed.”
The Coalition provided Airwars with the coordinates for this event accurate to within a 100 metre box.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Geolocation notes
Prior to the Coalition releasing the MGRS for this incident, Airwars had geolocated it to the nearest town at 34.974444, 40.485556
Summary
Sources (4) [ collapse]
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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June 7, 2017, near Mahkan, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft engaged an ISIS person of interest in a moving vehicle. At the moment of impact, a separate civilian vehicle passed the target vehicle. Regrettably, it appears that a civilian in the passing vehicle was unintentionally killed.
Original strike reports
For June 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”
‘Wednesday 7 June – a Reaper killed two terrorists planting booby-traps in Raqqa, while a Tornado and a Typhoon attacked two Daesh-held buildings south-west of the city… The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh’s current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties. Royal Air Force aircraft have provided close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are now fighting Daesh on the outskirts of Raqqa. In Mosul, our aircraft are continuing to assist Iraqi troops in clearing remaining Daesh positions in and around the city. A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over northern Raqqa on Wednesday 7 June. It observed two extremists burying booby-traps along routes into the city. Hellfire missiles were deployed, killing both. Some 45 miles south-west of Raqqa, a mixed pair of Tornado and Typhoon fast jets used a Brimstone missile to hit one Daesh-held building. A Paveway IV guided bomb left a second target on fire.’