Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Up to 17 civilians died in various neighbourhoods across Raqqa in either Coalition airstrikes or artillery shelling, local media reported.
According to Baladi, “Coalition aircraft launched several air raids on the city of Raqqa, including more than ten raids where the coalition used white phosphorus bombs, banned internationally, for the second day in a row. Local media sources reported the occurrence of martyrs and wounded civilians by shelling.”
Sharqiya Voice reported that there had been “15 deaths and a number of civilians wounded – most of them women and children – following coalition raids in conjunction with YPG artillery in al Sabahiya area west of Raqqa.” However, the Coalition confirmed to Airwars that only the US was using artillery on the city.
Smart, also blaming the Coalition, put the death toll at 17. Al Raqqa Truth published a video by IS media agency A’maq reportedly showing American raids using white phosphorous.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]
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This photo reportedly shows Phosphorus bombs targeting the al-Sabahia, Raqqa on either June 8th or 9th, allegedly carried out by the Coalition (via RFS)
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This photo reportedly shows Phosphorus bombs targeting the al-Sabahia, Raqqa on either June 8th or 9th, allegedly carried out by the Coalition (via RFS)
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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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The report contains insufficient information of the time location and details to assess its credibility.
Original strike reports
For June 9th-10th: “Near Raqqah, 20 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, four vehicles, three ISIS headquarters, a VBIED, and an ISIS-held building; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” It additionally added that “On June 9, near Raqqah, Syria, nine strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, two VBIEDs, two weapons caches, and an ISIS staging area.”
Friday 9 June – Tornados struck a Daesh position in eastern Raqqa…On Friday 9 June, Tornados struck a Daesh position in eastern Raqqa.