Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS965a

Incident date

June 11, 2017

Location

Ar Raqqah: near Omar Bin Al Khattab mosque, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.952293, 39.021907 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A female child was killed by artillery shelling from the US-led Coalition. The Coalition later conceded a total of eight deaths and 24 injuries clustered across this event and CS965 and CS965b. To avoid triple counting, the official OIR tally is only counted in CS965.

This civilian was initially listed as killed in an airstrike which killed eight civilians from three families – including named victim – with dozens also left wounded. It has since been uncovered by Amnesty field research that this victim was killed by shrapnel which entered the home while she was on the 2nd floor.

According to the Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality”, the “Wife of Ala Ahmad Ali Hamsho, Suhaila Mohammed Dhibo, was killed. Her husband was downstairs  waiting for Suhaila who was upstairs on second floor getting ready leave and go to her family due to too much shelling”.

The mother-in-law – Houda – provided testimony to Amnesty International saying “Suhaila was upstairs getting some belonging while my son waited for her downstairs. They were going to leave and go to her father because there was a lot of artillery shelling in the area.”

A number of sources alleged that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were responsible for the strikes with the Syrian Network blaming SDF mortars. However, the Coalition also reported that it conducted artillery fire in the Raqqa.

In February 2019, the Coalition accepted responsibility for the event, noting: “Coalition artillery targeted ISIS fighters. Regrettably, eight civilians were unintentionally killed and 24 civilians were unintentionally injured due to their proximity to the impacts.”

Both this event and CS965 are classed as credible events.

The incident occured at 23:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

16 years old female killed

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

  • Before strike. (via Amnesty)

  • After strike. (via Amnesty)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (36) [ collapse]

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:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    Other
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Stated location
    near Raqqa, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV017790
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Feb 28, 2019
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

  • June 12, 2017, near Raqqa, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition artillery targeted ISIS fighters. Regrettably, eight civilians were unintentionally killed and 24 civilians were unintentionally injured due to their proximity to the impacts. [The Coalition conceded a total of eight deaths and 24 injuries clustered across CS965, CS965a and CS965b. To avoid triple counting, the official OIR tally is only counted in CS965]. 

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 11th-12th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 23 strikes engaged 20 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 16 fighting positions, two vehicles, and two ISIS boats; damaged five ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” It additionally reported that “On June 11, near Raqqah, Syria, six strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions and suppressed a sniper team.” And that “On June 11, near Raqqah, Syria, two strikes destroyed two fighting positions.”

It also reported for the same days that "Near Raqqah, 22 strikes engaged 20 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 21 fighting positions and four vehicles."

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original

On the 15/6-17, the French MoD reported: "In the past week, France reports his 31 sorties, 28 of which were Armed Reconnaissance or Ground Support (CAS) and 3 were intelligence gathering. Two strikes were conducted by French planes in Iraq and Syria, one in the west of Raqqah city, and the other in the Al Qaim region, both against ISIL fighters. Task Force Wagram carried out 80 artillery strikes in Mosul."

Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 31 sorties aériennes dont 28 de reconnaissance armée ou d’appui au sol (CAS) et 3 de recueil de renseignements. 2 frappes ont été conduites par les avions français en Irak et en Syrie, l’une à l’Ouest de la ville de Raqqah, et l’autre dans la région d’Al Qaim, toutes deux contre des combattants de Daech.’

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (36) [ collapse]