Incident Code

CS955b

Location

شارع النور, Al Nour Mosque, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.956623, 38.993065
Accuracy: Exact location (via Airwars)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: )

Five people were killed due to an airstrike that destroyed their home near the Al Nour mosque. Some of their names were initially reported on by several local sources (RBSS, RFS, Step News Agency) in connection to incident CS955a. During investigations of this event for the April 2019 joint Airwars and Amnesty report War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality (www.raqqa.amnesty.org), Amnesty field researchers were able to identify 2 different airstrikes that happened in the area, in which people of 4 different families were killed. This one, on June 9th, 2017 at 12:30 killed 2 children, 2 women and a man and one person was injured. The War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality report notes: “Five people – 2 children, 2 women and a man – were killed when their home was destroyed by an airstrike at 12.30 am. Wathna Turkmani, a midwife, lived on the third floor but was staying with her aunt on the ground floor for fear of airstrikes. Her aunt, Fadwa Al Mammo, was injured and left paralysed.” She told Amnesty investigators: “My seven-year-old daughter and my friend, also a midwife who had been displaced from her home were both killed as well as my cousin and his wife and their baby son. This war killed so many innocent civilians.”

In their monthly civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of Amnesty’s civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

Victims

Family members (3)

Mahmoud Faruq al-Khalaf
31 years old male husband of Salam killed
Salam Matar al-Hind
20s years old female wife of Mahmoud killed
Assad Faruq al-Khalaf
5 months years old male son of Mahmoud and Salam killed

Invidivuals

Tala Turkmani
7 years old female daughter of Wathna Turkmani killed
Hanan Hamzeh
38 years old female friend of Wathna Turkmani killed
Fadwa Al Mammo
Adult female aunt of Wathna Turkmani injured

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
5
2 Children, 2 Women, 1 Man
Civilians reported injured
1

Geolocation Notes

Before the strike on July 2, 2017

Imagery: Amnesty International

After the strike on July 6, 2017

Imagery: Amnesty International

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
near Raqqah, Syria
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
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.” For June 10th-11th: “Near Raqqah, 17 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, four vehicles, two ISIS front-end loaders, two ISIS headquarters, an ISIS UAS and an ISIS barge.” It additionally reported that “On June 10, near Raqqah, Syria, 11 strikes engaged 9 ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, a tunnel, a weapons storage facility, and a command and control node; damaged an ISIS factory; and suppressed a sniper.”
UK Military Strike Report
Saturday 10 June – In Raqqa, a Reaper struck a group of terrorists engaged in a fire fight with Syrian Democratic Forces, and Typhoons hit two tunnel entrances…The following day [June 10th] , a Reaper intervened in a fire fight in western Raqqa between the SDF and a group of Daesh fighters. The Reaper hit the latter with a very effective Hellfire attack. The same day, Paveway-armed Typhoons struck two entrances to a network of tunnels built beneath a factory in the north-east of the city.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2017-10-27
Original Source
After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Media From Sources (18)

Sources (47)

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