Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

RS4457

Incident date

February 17, 2020

Location

الأبزمو, Al Abzimo, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

One child was killed alongside their mother and four others were injured in alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Al Abzmo, Aleppo governorate, on February 17th, 2020, according to local sources.

Edlib Media Center reported that “a mother and her child were martyred due to the targeting of the Russian occupation air force of the town of Al Abzmo, in the western countryside of Aleppo”. Alaraby News refers to the child as being her “daughter” while others refer to the child as being a male.

The Syrian Civil Defence in Aleppo identified the victims as the wife of Ahmed Al Eid Al Houary and Ibrahim Ahmed Al Eid Al Houary.

A Facebook post from Sa`a hora reported that three civilians were killed in the airstrikes, also identifying the wife of Ahmed and Ibrahim.

SMART News reported that a woman and child were killed in a missile strike by Syrian regime forces.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights also blamed the Syrian regime, and confirmed that Ibrahim Ahmed Al Eid Al Houary died alongside his mother.

@ShahbaPress reported that, in addition, several civilians were injured. @ahmmaddaak put the number of injured civilians at four.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Eid Al-Houary إبراهيم أحمد العيد الحوري
Adult male killed
Wife of Ahmed Al-Eid Al-Houary زوجة الحاج أحمد العيد الحوري
Adult female first name unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Woman in the aftermath of alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the town of Al Abzimo, Aleppo governorate, on February 17th, 2020 (via SCD Aleppo).

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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0220

Incident date

October 15, 2023

Location

جوار مسجد خالد بن الوليد, Vicinity of Khaled bin al Walid Mosque , Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.370425, 34.334530 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On Sunday, October 15th 2023, two civilians were injured by an alleged Israeli airstrike in the vicinity of the home of Abdel al-Abadia near the Khaled bin al-Walid Mosque in al-Qarara, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Information Center, along with Palestine Today TV, TV Manar, and Sama News Agency reported about the strike and the two injured civilians, as did multiple sources on social media. Salahaddin reported that the two civilians had sternum injuries, and included a video of a flaming building, allegedly the home that was bombed. Ben Kanaan reported on the strike and injuries and added “thank God there are no martyrs in the place”, thus indicating that no deaths had occurred as a result of the strike. Sources did not specify the names or details of the injured civilians and did not list civilian deaths or other injuries.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

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Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Khaled bin al Walid Mosque (مسجد خالد بن الوليد) in al Qarara (القرارة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.370425, 34.334530. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC300

Incident date

February 21, 2020

Location

الاصفاح, Al Asfah, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.721907, 13.113137 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians from one family were allegedly injured by LNA shelling on Al-Swani.

The Field Medicine and Support Centre reported: “As part of its humanitarian mission, the emergency and ambulance team at Suwani Field Hospital affiliated to the Center for Field Medicine and Support Friday night, corresponding to 2/21/2020, assisted citizens after targeting with a random shell in the Asfah area in Al-Swani, which resulted in the injury of a woman and both of the following:

Riyad Adel Al-Safah, 15 years old

Asem Shaaban Al-Safah, 20 years

It also caused several material damage, and the cases were transferred to Al-Ghout Al-Shaal clinic to complete their treatment.”

Libya Alahrar TV, the Libya Observer and the Burkan Al Ghadab operation also reported three injured and claimed the LNA was responsible.

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Riyad Adel Al-Safah
15 years old male injured
Asem Shaaban Al-Safah
20 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Libyan National Army

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim allegedly injured by LNA shelling on Al-Swani on February 21st, 2020 (via Burkan Al Ghadab)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Victim allegedly injured by LNA shelling on Al-Swani on February 21st, 2020 (via Burkan Al Ghadab)
  • Building allegedly damaged by LNA shelling on Al-Swani on February 21st, 2020 (via Burkan Al Ghadab)
  • Building allegedly damaged by LNA shelling on Al-Swani on February 21st, 2020 (via Burkan Al Ghadab)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Asfah (الاصفاح), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.721907, 13.113137. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Asfah (الاصفاح).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Libyan National Army

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0282

Incident date

October 17, 2023

Location

مجزرة عائلة المقيد في دير البلح وسط قطاع غزة, the Al-Muqayd family in Deir Al-Balah, Central Gaza Strip, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

On October 17th 2023, six members of the Al-Muqayd family, four children and two women, were killed when their house in Deir Al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip was destroyed due to an alleged Israeli bombing.

Journalist Ziad Al-Muqayd was working when he received the news of the death of his family members due to the destruction. Ziad’s mother Siham Al-Muqayad Al-Dabiki, his wife Samah Ismail Al-Muqayd and their four children, daughter Sama Ziad Al-Muqayd and sons Abudullah Ziad Al-Muqayd, Zain Ziad Al-Muqayd, and Salam Ziad Al-Muqayd were killed after aircraft bombed their house. After their bodies were recovered, Ziad’s wife and 4 of the children’s remains were placed on one shroud. Search was underway for missing persons under the rubble of the house at the time of reporting.

Ziad Al-Muqayd announced the death of his wife and children in the “crimes against Journalist” group to his fellow colleagues. As his colleague @ShazaAbed pointed out, “What do we tell him??? How do we console him?” in light of the tragedy he faced.

@adham922 posted about the last conversation he had with Ziad, where Ziad mentioned that he had not returned home for 10 days, as he is the creative photographer on Al-Aqsa TV. When he finally returned, he returned to bid farewell to his family members.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

Siham Al-Muqayd Al-Dabiki سهام المقيد الدبيكي
68 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 917583130
Samah Ismail Al-Muqayd سماح إسماعيل المقيد
38 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 801028820
Sama Ziad Al-Muqayd سماء زياد المقيد
11 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 433453933
Abdullah Ziyad Al-Muqayd عبد الله زياد المقيد
7 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 437112709
Zain Ziyad Muqayd الإبن زين زياد المقيد
male killed
Salam Ziad Al-Muqayd
male

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (4 children2 women)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (33) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (73) [ collapse]

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    Source: @ShehabAgency

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    Source: @ShehabAgency

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    Source: @ShehabAgency

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    Source: @ShehabAgency

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    Source: @PalinfoAr

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    Source: @PalinfoAr

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    Source: Nabd news

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    Source: Nabd news

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    Source: Nabd news

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    Source: Nabd news

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    Source: @uzisall

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    Source: @jSh8C3ArPE3Z4Zi

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    Source: @ShazaAbed

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    Source: @23Kanjiro

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    Source: @23Kanjiro

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    Source: @23Kanjiro

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    Source: @23Kanjiro

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    Source: Abu yahya

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Merzak

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Mehmood

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    Source: Naheel

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    Source: Naheel

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    Source: Onlinemarket

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    Source: Haneen

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    Source: Haneen

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    Source: Lama

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    Source: Lama

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    Source: Alulool

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    Source: Enfinity

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    Source: Mostafa

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    Source: Mostafa

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    Source: Baraa

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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    Source: Wosta

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Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (4 children2 women)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (33) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr038-C

Incident date

March 5–6, 2017

Location

يكلا, Yakla, Bayda', Yemen

Geolocation

14.594167, 45.067500 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several sources reported that brothers Ahmad Abdullah Muhammad Al-Sanbahi Al-Khubezi, aged twelve, and Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad Al-Sanbahi Al-Khubezi, aged ten, were killed by a US strike in Yakla, in the Qifah area of Bayda governorate, overnight from March 5th to March 6th.

According to Hunaradaa, local residents said that an older brother, Omar, survived the strike, which was reported by Al-Masdar Online to have taken place on a mountain road in the village.  Hunaradaa also reported that the US drone strike targeted “a car carrying displaced people”, though no other sources corroborated this claim.

Shafaqna reported that the brothers had been tending a herd of goats at the time of the strike. Sources differed on the exact timing of the action, with some indicating that it occurred late on Sunday and others suggesting early Monday morning. According to Reuters, the road was one used by militants in the Yakla area.

Hunaredaa also reported that the brothers’ father had been killed by a US drone strike in 2014, and that the family had fled to Yakla after Houthis allegedly destroyed their home in Khobza village.

One Twitter source also later reported that “five tribal members and two children” were killed as the result of the “Monday drone strikes” in Yakla. It was unclear whether the five reported tribal members were killed in this strike or in a reported distinct second strike in the Qaifa area later that day, or indeed if they were militants or civilians. As such, Airwars presently assesses that a minimum of two civilian children were killed in the strike, with a maximum of seven civilian deaths.

According to Al-Masdar Online, residents reported that a helicopter launched the strike in the village, though others indicated that a drone was responsible for the death of the brothers. Another Twitter source reported that indiscriminate bombing took place in the village. The strike came amidst the reported displacement of civilians and alleged militants from the Yakla area, due to the frequency of alleged US airstrikes. Hunaradaa reported that “dozens” of families had fled Yakla for nearby mountains and valleys in early March, echoed in reporting by journalist Iona Craig of the Intercept.

US Central Command later told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism that “they had looked into the allegations in the Reuters reporting and determined they were not credible in accordance with their established procedures”.

Yakla was the target of several alleged US strikes in early March 2017, several of which reportedly targeted alleged AQAP leader Sheikh Abdul Ilah al-Dhahab, who was claimed killed by another US strike on March 3rd 2017 in Marib. Yakla was also the site of a US special forces raid on January 29th 2017, which resulted in the deaths of at least twenty civilians, including at least eleven children.

This event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP in March 2017. On March 6th, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis announced that forty strikes had been conducted in Yemen over the previous five nights.  A day earlier, AFP had reported that AQAP militants had begun to withdraw from several areas, including Yakla, in response to US strikes.

In its May 2018 annual civilian casualty report, the US Department of Defense stated that “there were credible reports of civilian casualties caused by U.S. military actions in Yemen against AQAP and ISIS during 2017”, but did not specify which specific actions these reports referred to.  Overall, the Department of Defense assessed that there were credible reports of “approximately 499 civilians killed and approximately 169 civilians injured during 2017”, as a result of US military actions in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

Responding to Airwars’ publication of its Yemen dataset and accompanying report in October 2020, CENTCOM dismissed all but two civilian harm claims under President Trump, asserting that “USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020… The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen.   Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review.”

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad Al-Sanbahi Al-Khubezi
10 years old male killed
Ahmad Abdullah Muhammad Al-Sanbahi Al-Khubezi
12 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 7
  • (2 children)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–5

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Two brothers, allegedly pictured here, were reportedly killed by an overnight US airstrike in Yakla from March 5th to March 6th (@akbralyuom, March 6th 2017)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Yakla (يكلا), for which the coordinates are: 14.594167, 45.067500. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces 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 reason given
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • Nov 5, 2020

  • US Central Command said they were not aware of any credible civilian casualty allegations from the March 6 strike. They did say they had looked into the allegations in the Reuters reporting and determined they were not credible in accordance with their established procedures.

  • Via email: U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) continues to focus on ways to minimize civilian casualties during its military operations. We assess or review all reports of civilian casualties because such assessments or reviews help us identify ways to improve our operations and counter misinformation and propaganda. We routinely share the results of every one of our assessments in Department of Defense (DoD) reports to Congress, including annual reports, many of which are publicly available. We also share the results of our assessments or reviews with the public via the USCENTCOM website and our statements to the media. Individuals wishing to understand U.S. military operations in Yemen more fully should consult these official sources of information. USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020. Of the information AirWars provided, one strike on September 14, 2017, was assessed to have caused injuries to two civilians. Also, as previously released by USCENTCOM to the public in February 2017, USCENTCOM acknowledged there may have been civilian casualties during a raid on January 29, 2017. The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen. Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review. Consistent with our mission, our authorities, and our obligations under the law of war, USCENTCOM will continue to conduct military actions in Yemen when required to protect the Nation and our allies and partners from al Qa’ida and ISIS terror cells that are committed to inflicting terror. In every strike and raid, we take careful measures to minimize civilian harm and take responsibility for our actions. When our military operations result in reports of civilian harm, we will continue to assess the credibility of such reports to help us identify ways to improve our operations and respond as appropriate.

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

Defense Department officials detected and tracked multiple missile launches out of North Korea today, four of which landed in the Sea of Japan, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters this morning.

Explosive ordnance disposal technicians assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Platoon 501, prepare for an EOD mine-countermeasure exercise with members of a South Korean navy underwater dive team off the coast of Jinhae, South Korea, as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2017, March 3, 2017. Foal Eagle is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to work together during a crisis. Navy Combat Camera photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfred A. Coffield
Explosive ordnance disposal technicians assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Platoon 501, prepare for an EOD mine-countermeasure exercise with members of a South Korean navy underwater dive team off the coast of Jinhae, South Korea, as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2017, March 3, 2017. Foal Eagle is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to work together during a crisis. Navy Combat Camera photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfred A. Coffield
Davis said the four medium-range ballistic missiles were launched from the northwest corner of North Korea, traveled over the Korean Peninsula and out into the sea, totaling about 1,000 kilometers in distance, or more than 620 miles.

Missiles Land Off Japan’s Coast

The missiles landed in the vicinity of Akita Prefecture off the coast of Japan near that nation’s exclusive economic zone, he said. The EEZ is defined as a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.

“The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected that the missiles from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” Davis said. “This [North Korean missile launch] is very similar in terms of the path and the distance of the three missiles that flew into Japan’s EEZ in September 2016.”

He added, “These launches, which coincide with the start of our annual defensive exercise, Foal Eagle, with the Republic of Korea’s military, are consistent with North Korea’s long history of provocative behavior, often timed to military exercises that we do with our ally,”

The United States stands with its allies “in the face of this very serious threat and are taking steps to enhance our ability to defend against North Korea’s ballistic missiles, such as the deployment of a [Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense] battery to South Korea, which will happen as soon as feasible,” Davis said.

U.S. Strikes AQAP in Yemen

Also overnight, the United States made an airstrike on Yemen’s Abyan Governorate against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, bringing to 40 the strikes there in the past five nights, Davis said.

Since the first airstrike against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen on Feb. 28, “We will continue to target [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] militants and facilities to disrupt the organization’s plot and protect American lives,” the captain said.

The strikes have been coordinated with and done in full partnership with the government of Yemen with the goal of denying al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists’ freedom of movement within traditional safe havens, Davis emphasized.

The captain also confirmed the deaths of three al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in March 2 and 3 airstrikes in Yemen.

Usayd al Adani, whom Davis described as a longtime al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula explosives expert and facilitator who served as the organization’s emir, was killed in a U.S. airstrike March 2 within the Abyan Governorate. Killed with him was former Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee Yasir al Silmi.

Killed March 3 was al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula fighter and communications intermediary for Adani, Harithah al Waqri, Davis said.

“[Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] has taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct and inspire terror attacks against the United States and our allies,” he said. “And we will continue to work with the government of Yemen to defeat [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula].

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 7
  • (2 children)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–5

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0261

Incident date

October 14, 2023

Location

تل الهوا, Tal al Hawa, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.498611, 34.4425 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 14th, 2023, Counselor Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, along with 15 family members, including three women and ten children, were killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike on his residential home in the Al-Hawa neighborhood in the southwest of Gaza City. Most sources agree that the home of the deceased was “directly” bombed by the Israeli military.

Safa news agency reported that Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Authority for Documentation and Prosecution of Occupation Crimes, was killed alongside his parents, his family and that of his brother’s family in the alleged airstrike. The grandparents of the family, 74 year old Fahmi Muhammed Al Najjar and 74 year old Fatima Khalil Al Najjar, were killed alongside their two sons and wives, 41 year old Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar and his wife 34 year old Haneen Al Najjar, and 36 year old Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar and his wife 30 year old Samah Al Najjar, and their grandchildren: Muhammad’s six children Fahmi Mohammed Al Najjar, 14 year old Omar Mohammed Al Najjar, 13 year old Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Najjar, 4 year old Yousef Mohammed Al Najjar, 3 year old Anas Mohammed Al Najjar, and 5 year old Fatima Mohammed Al Najjar; Firas’ four children 5 year old Yaman Firas Al Najjar, 7 year old Obaida Firas Al Najjar, 10 year old Fatima Firas Al Najjar, 3 year old Sara Firas Al Najjar.

Following the incident, colleagues and family members have paid tributes online. Muhammad Abu Sharab, the nephew of counselor Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, acknowledged the death of his uncle in a Facebook post that also alleged that the airstrike had killed all family members inside the home of Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar.

Dr. Ramy Abdu, a colleague of the deceased, posted on Facebook following the alleged airstrike. He paid tribute to his colleague Judge Habib Fahmi Al-Najjar (likely referring to the grandfather Fahmi Al-Najjar), Judge Fatima Khalil Al-Najjar (Al-Makhalati), and the heads of the lawyers’ bloc, their sons Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar and Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar, who were also killed during the incident. The Palestinian Bar Association Gaza also identified the grandfather of the family as “Counselor Judge Fahmi Al-Najjar”. At the time of his post, Dr Abdu reported that civil defense crews were still trying to recover the victims of the alleged airstrike.

These tributes often provide an insight into the personality of those killed. Dr Ola El-Najjar, the son of Judge Fahmi Muhammad al-Najjar, described his father as a man that embodied “compassion and generosity” and his mother – Fatima Khalil Al-Najjar – as a woman that “combined gentleness, tenderness, and love” for her children and grandchildren.

The post of Dr Ola El-Najjar provides insight into the family of the deceased. His brother, Muhammad Fahmy Al-Najjar and his sister-in-law Haneen Al-Najjar were killed alongside their six children during the incident. Muhammad was described as “the caring brother who is dutiful to his parents and sisters, and companion to his wife, known for his intense love for his children, his mercy toward those near and far, and his generosity with everyone, and my advisor in all my steps” and his wife Haneen as “a kind and generous person who had memorized the Qur’an”. Dr. Ola also described Fatima as named after her grandmother “so that she would remain Fatima in his eyes and heart”, and Yousef “with his beauty, who loved my daughter Shoshu and called her (Aunty Shoshu)”.

It is also revealed that his other brother, Firas Fahmy Al-Najjar and his wife Samah Al-Najjar, who were both engineers, were killed alongside their four children during the bombing. Dr Ola described his other brother Firas as “the beloved, close friend, righteous companion, and intelligent, sharp mind” and his wife Samah as “the wise engineer… and a girl of principles”. Their children were described as Fatima who “is similar to her mother in character”, Obaida “the beloved son of the beloved, with his white face that blushes at the slightest praise”, Yaman who would always hug his son Muhammad because of their love for football.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (16)

Fahmi Muhammed Al Najjar فهمي محمد النجار
74 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 958596645
Fatima Khalil Al Najjar فاطمة خليل النجار
74 years old female Fahmi's wife killed Matched to MoH ID 903160554
Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar محمد فهمي النجار
41 years old male Fahmi and Fatima's child killed Matched to MoH ID 926703968
Haneen Al Najjar حنين النجار
34 years old female Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar's wife killed Matched to MoH ID 802438358
Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar فراس فهمي النجار
36 years old male Fahmi and Fatima's child killed Matched to MoH ID 801772898
Samah Al Najjar Samah Al Najjar
30 years old female Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar's wife killed Matched to MoH ID 804024065
Fahmi Mohammed Al Najjar فهمي النجار
Child male Muhammad and Haneen's child killed
Omar Mohammed Al Najjar عمر النجار
14 years old male Muhammad and Haneen's child killed Matched to MoH ID 429037724
Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Najjar
13 years old male Muhammad and Haneen's child killed
Yousef Mohammed Al Najjar يوسف النجار
4 years old Muhammad and Haneen's child killed Matched to MoH ID 444446611
Anas Mohammed Al Najjar أنس النجار
3 years old male Muhammad and Haneen's child killed Matched to MoH ID 444983456
Fatima Mohammed Al Najjar فاطمة النجار
5 years old female Muhammad and Haneen's child killed Matched to MoH ID 444177778
Yaman Firas Al Najjar يمان النجار
5 years old male Firas's child killed Matched to MoH ID 440653442
Obaida Firas Al Najjar عبيدة النجار
7 years old male Firas's child killed Matched to MoH ID 437024565
Fatima Firas Al Najjar فاطمة النجار
10 years old female Firas's child killed Matched to MoH ID 426921649
Sara Firas Al Najjar سارة النجار
3 years old female Firas's child killed Matched to MoH ID 443249750

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    16
  • (10 children3 women3 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (21) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Abu Sharab

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Abu Sharab

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Abu Sharab

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Abu Sharab

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohamed Ali

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohamed Ali

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohamed Ali

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohamed Ali

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian Bar Association Gaza

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmed Al-Kahlot

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @UnewsAgency1

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Ayat_Mohamed85

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Ayat_Mohamed85

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Jihane09876

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Tal al Hawa (تل الهوا) to the west of Gaza city (غزة). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Tal al Hawa are: 31.498611, 34.4425.

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Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    16
  • (10 children3 women3 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Israeli Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS4501

Incident date

March 2, 2020

Location

عدوان, Adwan, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that up to two civilians were killed and two others, including a woman, were wounded in alleged Russian airstrikes on a secondary school in a camp for displaced people in Adwan in the Idlib province on March 2nd 2020.

Multiple sources claimed that two civilians were killed as a result of the alleged Russian airstrike. Step News was the only source to report that one civilian was killed in the attack.

Smart news added that the strike also led to the injury of one woman and one man.

SNHR Post later added detail that “fixed- wing warplanes we believe were Russian fired missiles on Odwan Secondary School in Odwan village in Sahl al Rouj area in the western suburbs of Idlib governorate, partially destroying its building and severely destroying its furniture, on March 2”.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed airstrikes on Adwan to Russian planes while Shaam News was the only source to mention that both regime and Russian planes carried out airstrikes in various villages across Idlib.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • White Helmets respond after airstrikes were carried out on the town of Adwan on March 2, 2020. (Image posted by @HosamAlhaji)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R4552

Incident date

September 2, 2023

Location

السحارة, Al Sahara, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

Up to three civilians – a man, his daughter, and another girl – were injured in Al Sahara, Western Aleppo, by artillery allegedly fired by the Syrian regime and/or Russian military on September 2, 2023.

All three injured in the evening shelling were civilians, according to SCD News, and both girls were children. The shelling had also caused a blacksmith’s workshop in the village to catch on fire. Syrian Civil Defense teams treated those affected, extinguished the fire, and reported no additional casualties. @baladinetwork was the only source to report a lower casualty estimate of two wounded.

Over 10 shells had struck Al Sahara, Atareb Media reported, though sources varied on the source of the artillery fire. Some local outlets — including Atareb — labeled Russian forces as responsible. Others, like Step News, said the shells were fired by the Syrian regime. Multiple sources mentioned that rockets were used in the attack.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]