Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

RS4103

Incident date

September 13, 2019

Location

بانص, Banes, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.97697, 36.9748 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was injured on September 13, 2019 after the explosion of a cluster bomb that was allegedly dropped by Russian or regime warplanes on the village of Banes, Aleppo governorate, according to local sources.

A tweet from @SyriaCivilDefe reported “A civilian was injured due to the detonation of a cluster bomb remnants of previous bombing, on the village of Banas, south of Aleppo, and the medical source classified his condition as critical.” The image accompanying the tweet shows someone being loaded into an ambulance.

@ZaitunAgency posted that “A young man was critically injured by the explosion of a cluster bomb remnants of the Assad forces’ shelling on the village of Banas in the southern countryside of Aleppo.”

All sources refer to one one civilian as being injured except for @so_ria98, which references “civilians.”

Sources did not identify when the cluster munition was originally dropped and most did not identify who was responsible for the bomb. However, @ZaitunAgency attributed the original shelling to the regime while @so_ria98 blamed Russian forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Caption translation: A civilian was injured due to the detonation of a cluster bomb remnants of previous bombing, on the village of Banas, south of Aleppo, and the medical source classified his condition as critical. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr131

Incident date

January 9, 2018

Location

مديرية الصومعة, As Sawma'ah District, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.166667, 45.831111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Sama’a directorate, Bayda governorate, on the evening of January 9th 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Several Twitter and local-language news sources reported the strike, including Al-Masdar Online, @demolinari, and Al-Arabi. A tribal leader told Anatolia Agency that the strike targeted a car in the area.

Later, one source, @JoshuaKoontz__, suggested that AQAP militant Akram Al-Adeni may have been killed in the strike, referencing a eulogy published on January 16th.  However, it was later indicated by Twitter user @demolinari that Al-Adeni was been killed in a discrete US drone strike against a motorcycle in the same area on January 16th 2018 (USYEMTr138).

In an email to Long War Journal, a US Central Command later spokesperson confirmed that a US strike targeted AQAP in Bayda on that day. There were no known public reports of other strikes in Bayda on January 9th; as such, this event is treated as declared.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • One source, @JoshuaKoontz__, indicated that Akram Al-Adeni may have been killed in the January 9th-10th strike. Two sources, however, indicated that he may have instead died in an later strike on January 16th 2018. (@demolinari, January 17th 2018)

Geolocation notes

Reports on the incident mention the As Sawma’ah District (مديرية الصومعة) for which the generic coordinates are: 14.166667, 45.831111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

In a major move toward transparency, US Central Command (CENTCOM) provided details to FDD’s Long War Journal on US air strikes against Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen. Since early 2017, the military previously provided little information on the Yemen air campaign, typically providing only an aggregate number and limited detail on high-value target strikes.

In an email to LWJ, CENTCOM’s Major Josh T. Jacques disclosed the dates and locations of the last five months of strikes in Yemen. The information revealed that since the beginning of 2018, the US campaign against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen has focused on three governorates: Hadramout (eight strikes), Al Bayda (17), and Shabwa (three), demonstrating the eastern reach of the terrorist group.

Last year’s publicized strikes were concentrated in the central governorates of Al Bayda and Marib.

Location of US air strikes against AQAP and the Islamic State in 2018:

– Jan. 2018: Ten total strikes. The US conducted 8 strikes against AQAP in Bayda on Jan. 1, 3, 9, 12, 13, 20, 25, and 29. An additional strike against AQAP in Shabwah occurred on Jan. 26. An additional strike against the Islamic State occurred on Jan. 12 in Bayda.

– Feb. 2018: Six total strikes, all in Al Bayda governorate. Strikes occurred on Feb. 7, 11, 12, 16, and 24 (two strikes were conducted on Feb. 24).

– Mar. 2018: Seven total strikes, six of which occurred in Hadramout. Strikes occurred on Mar. 4 (two strikes), 5, 7, 8, and 13. An additional strike in Bayda occurred on March 29. [AQAP’s apparent entrenchment in eastern Yemen is concerning. In addition to the concentration of strikes in Hadramout, CENTCOM previously disclosed that AQAP operated training camps in the governorate as recently as April 2018, when they were targeted by American strikes.]

– Apr. 2018: Four total strikes, one each in Shabwah (April 26) and Al Bayda (April 23), and two in Hadramout (both on April 11).

– May 2018: One strike, in Shabwah on May 14.

– Jun. 2018: No strikes to date.

The US military has stepped up its counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen as well as the Islamic State since President Trump took office in 2017. Last year, the US launched 131 strikes (125 against AQAP and six against the Islamic State), nearly tripling the previous yearly high of 44 strikes in 2016.

At the current pace, the US will fall far short of that mark; there have been 28 strikes reported by CENTCOM in Yemen in the first five months of 2018.

This counterterrorism campaign has targeted AQAP’s infrastructure, including its training camps and media operations, which serve as a hub for al Qaeda’s global communications. The US has killed several mid-level AQAP leaders and media officials in its air campaign.

Despite suffering setbacks after seizing large areas of southern and central Yemen between 2015-2016, AQAP remains a persistent threat to both the embattled Yemeni government and US interests worldwide. AQAP still controls remote rural areas in Yemen and operates training camps. The group’s master bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, who has engineered several bombs which have evaded airport security, remains one of the most wanted jihadists on the planet.

Note: This article was updated to include the dates and locations of Jan. 2018 strikes.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS308

Incident date

October 11, 2019

Location

تل حلف, Tal Halaf, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.8237138, 40.0378232 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One woman was reported seriously injured in an alleged Turkish forces airstrike or artillery attack on Tal Halaf on October 11th, 2019, according to local media sources.

No more information available yet.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Tal Halaf (تل حلف), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.8237138, 40.0378232. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS330

Incident date

October 12, 2019

Location

رام حمدان‎, Ram Hamdan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.027246, 36.712858 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “a girl from Ram Hamdan town in Idlib countryside was killed after five failed attempts to cross to the Turkish border from the western side of Idlib”.

The Observatory said the victim was killed by “Turkish border guards’ bullets”.

No further details are currently available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ram Hamdan (رام حمدان‎), for which the generic coordinates are:  36.027246, 36.712858. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS347

Incident date

October 16, 2019

Location

رأس العين, Ras Al Ain, Hassakah, Syria

Geolocation

36.848579, 40.073576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

“Many” civilians were killed and wounded in alleged Turkish air, artillery and  phosphorus attacks on Ras al-Ain, according to local media.

TEV-DEM Executive Board Member Aldar Xelîl said that banned weapons containing phosphorus and napalm were used by the Turkish state today in Serêkaniy.

Hawarnews added: The attack killed a number of civilians remaining in the city and left lives of hundreds at risk.”

According to ANF, “Violent clashes took place, and the invading Turkish state used banned weapons such as phosphorus, air strikes and artillery shots.

The civilians remaining in the city are the targets of the bombing. Many civilians are martyred or injured. While the occupiers prevented the wounded from being transported to hospitals by keeping the entrance of the city, Turkish planes aimed at ambulances.”

Faris Hemo, Doctor of Hesekê Public Hospital, told ANHA: “When we look at the cases that came today [Oct 16th], we saw that the burns were different. Although we cannot determine exactly which weapon burns, we can say that the Turkish state uses chemical weapons.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Children burnt from alleged use of phosphorus by Turkish forces.
  • A child injured in alleged Turkey use of chemical weapons (via ANF)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Ras Al Ain (رأس العين), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.848579, 40.073576. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–10
  • Causes of injury / death
    Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN), Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS361

Incident date

October 21, 2019

Location

دادات, Dadat, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

36.669727, 39.089355 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources reported that Turkish forces committed a “massacre” in Dadat village.

According to RonahiTV, “The Turkish occupation and its mercenaries committed a massacre against civilians in the village of Dadat”.

Adarpress noted that “sources confirmed that Turkish occupation forces killed a number of civilians and buried them in the village, and established a prison in the village, arresting civilians from Dadat and neighbouring villages”.

al-ain.com said that its sources “confirmed that Turkish forces killed a number of civilians in the village and placed their bodies in a mass grave.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Dadat (دادات), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.669727, 39.089355. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 10
  • Cause of injury / death
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI548

Incident date

March 16, 2017

Location

Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Airwars assessment

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, on July 7th 2017 the Coalition said it had concluded an assessment on claims of civilian harm “near Mosul, Iraq” via an NGO report. According to the Coalition report, “76. March 16, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via NGO report: The report contained insufficient information on the time, location and details to assess its credibility.”

No additional details are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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:

  • 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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017

  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For March 15th – 16th: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 fighting positions, four mortar systems, two ISIS-held buildings, two vehicles, a medium machine gun, an artillery system, and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged 17 supply routes and three ISIS-held buildings; and suppressed six ISIS mortar teams and three ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2136

Incident date

April 17, 2017

Location

شنان, Shanan, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.730271, 36.619461 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five and as many as dozens of civilians were injured in an airstrike on a hospital in Shana, local media reported. Most sources blamed Russia, though there was an allegation against the regime.

According to Jisrtv, “The hospital in the village of Shanan was put out of service by the bombing of the Russian occupation aircraft with missiles and cluster bombs, which also resulted in the injury of members of the medical staff.”

Syria Mirror reported: “The Russian warplanes launched several air strikes with rockets and cluster bombs at Al-Ikhlas Hospital in the village of Shanan in Jabal Al-Zawiya, wounding five members of the medical staff, including a e member of the civil defense. The building was damaged along with cars and private property”.

Alkhaleejonline said that “dozens” of hospital employees were wounded, noting that the hospital specialised in treating women and children with obstetrics and gynecology departments “where doctors perform some minor surgeries”.

Orient was alone in pointing to the Assad regime as the culprit.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: 'Shanan hospital in Jabal al-Zawiyyah is out of service due to the Russian raids'
  • Another report which says that Shanan hospital was put out of service by alleged Russian strikes.

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 harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (12) [ collapse]