Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS938 RS2278

Incident date

June 9, 2017

Location

جديد عكيدات, Jadid Akeidat, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.254309, 40.355344 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as eight civilians, as well as six named which including medical personnel died, and others were wounded in an airstrike on Jadid Akeidat village, Deir Ez-Zour, according to local media – though reports were conflicted as to whether the US-led Coalition, the Syrian regime or Russia were responsible for the attacks. Sources reported that the strike had been on a “makeshift field hospital”, which some reports said was inside a mosque.

Qasioun put the death toll at three, while Jisr TV said as many as eight died when “Coalition forces targeted a mosque and a hospital”. According to Smart News Agency, four were killed, including “two doctors and an anesthesiologist”. It also blamed the Coalition.

However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights attributed the event to the regime. It reported that “Syrian regime warplanes fired missiles on the makeshift hospital in Jdeed Ekidat village in Deir Ez-Zour governorate eastern suburbs, killing a number of medical personnel, destroying the hospital’s building and rendering it inoperable”.

According to RFS, “eyewitnesses confirmed that at least four civilians were killed and a number of others injured by unidentified warplanes targeting a field hospital inside a mosque in the new town of Akidat, located in the eastern suburb of Deir al-Azur last night.”

But in an initial report, Baladi blamed Russia, reporting that “our correspondent, Murad Al-Ahmad, said that all indicators and military observers in Idlib confirmed that Russian aircraft targeted the hospital, resulting in the killing of most of the medical staff”. Euphrates Post also attributed the event to Russia and identified four victims by name.

However, there was some confusion in reporting, with a second Baladi report pointing towards the Coalition: “Local media sources said four civilians were killed Friday morning, including two doctors and a nurse, in air raids by an international coalition targeted at a mosque in the village of New al-Akidat”.

Free Deir Ezzor merely blamed “warplanes” and identified to victims.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Dr. Majid al-Alwan
Adult male killed
Dr. Hudhayfah al-Mulla
Adult male  from the town of Al Dahla killed
Abdul Rahman Al-Hermash “Rahmo”
Adult male The anesthesiologist  killed
Anas Ali al-Sawadi
Adult male killed
Dr. Hathifa Turki al Makhlaf
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Video saying that Anas Ali al-Sawadi died in contested airstrikes targeting Jadid Akida, Deir Ez-Zour, 9th June 2017. (via Mmkfld1)
  • The contested airstrikes reportedly destroyed the Grand Mosque in the town of Jadid Akidat, Der Ez-Zour, 9th June 2017. (via Euphrates Post Facebook)
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 Jadid Akeidat, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFV237016
    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 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”

Additionally, the Coalition reported that "five strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 6 that closed within the last 24 hours", one of these: "Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, one strike destroyed four ISIS oil tanks"

For June 8th-9th: no strikes were publicly reported in Deir Ez-Zour governorate.

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 8
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]