Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Between seven and nine civilians died including three children and one woman and up to 17 others were wounded in airstrikes on the al Qasr area of Bokros Tahtani, according to local media – though sources were conflicted as to whether the Coalition, Russia or the Syrian regime were responsible.
The Step News Agency and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights pointed towards Coalition airstrikes. However most other sources including Al Araby, Orient and Sharqiya Voice, blamed Russia.
According to Sharqiya, “a Russian warplane targeted the village of Bokros Tahtani, and in particular civilian homes on al Qasr Road in the centre of the village, killing nine civilians and wounding more than 17 others, in addition to the destruction of houses.”
Deir Ezzor24 reported that warplanes “bombed a group of civilians near a car who were distributing bread in the village.” Other sources said that the strikes occurred near al Qasr school.
Orient News reported “a total of 14 martyrs, mostly women and children, killed and a number of others injured as a result of Russian air strikes targeting the towns of Baqrass Tahtani and Khasham in the village of Deir al-Zour with rockets and cluster bombs.”
However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights blamed the regime, reporting: “6 civilians, including 3 children and a woman, killed in Syrian regime warplanes missiles fired on Buqrus Tahtani village in Deir Ez-Zour governorate eastern suburbs, September 14, 2017.”
Euphrates Post also said that Khader Sa’id al-Nizhan died as a result of injuries sustained in an attack by warplanes on September 14th – though the source later told Airwars that the event occurred in Al Mayadin.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (20) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
-
'Pictures showing the destruction caused by the air raid on the town of Baqras Tahtani near the palace school from the road Badia noon today.'
Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention the Al Qasr (القصر) area in the village of Bokros Tahtani (بقرص تحتاني). One source describes the place as near Al Qasr school, from the road of Badia. Airwars geolocated photos of a destroyed building to this location: 35.057081, 40.411497. Satellite imagery available to Airwars suggests that the building was destroyed between 12 and 22 September, 2017
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
-
After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.
Original strike reports
For September 13th-14th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, nine strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed two tactical vehicles, an ISIS fuel station and a fighting position.”
For September 14th - 15th, the Coalition reported: "Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two vehicles". It later reported, "On Sept. 14, near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria six strikes destroyed an ISIS UAS, a fighting position, an ISIS supply route and suppressed three fighting positions"
‘Friday 15 September – a Reaper supported coalition airstrikes near Dayr az Zawr, and delivered two attacks itself against extremists in the open, whilst Typhoons destroyed a Daesh-held building… On Friday 15 September, a Reaper was again very active north-east of Dayr az Zawr; it provided support to coalition airstrikes which destroyed three Daesh-held buildings, then conducted two attacks on its own account with Hellfire missiles against terrorists moving through the area. Nearby, a Typhoon flight bombed a further Daesh-held building.’