US-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Civilians in the ruins of Mosul city. (Maranie R. Staab)

Belligerent
US-led Coalition
Country
Iraq
Syria
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

CI383

Incident date

December 30, 2016

Location

الانتصار, Mosul, Intisar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.326674, 43.219614 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.

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

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

CI603

Incident date

April 3, 2017

Location

تل عفر, Tall Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.379238, 42.44814 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an event previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition denied social media claims of having caused civilian casualties at Tal Afar.

According to the June report, “22. April 3, 2017, near Tal Afar, Iraq, via social media: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Tal Afar, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKF7109029037
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 2, 2017
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 2nd-3rd the Coalition publicly reported that: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed a fighting position, a mortar system, and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged three fighting positions, two supply routes, and a supply cache; and suppressed eight ISIS mortar teams and four ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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

CI688

Incident date

May 4, 2017

Location

الرطبة, Ar Rutbah, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.036997, 40.285862 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In a previously unknown allegation, the Coalition denied involvement in an incident that they said was reported on social media. In their July 2017 civilian casualty report, the Coalition wrote: May 4, 2017, near Ar Rutbah, Iraq, via social media report: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 160 km away.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Ar Rutbah, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 160 km away.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For May 3rd-4th, the Coalition reported no strikes in the area.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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

CS906

Incident date

June 2, 2017

Location

Jamili building, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.957779, 39.001669 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, on April 1st 2017 the Coalition said it had concluded an assessment on media claims of civilian harm “near Raqqa, Syria”. According to the Coalition report, “113. June 2, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via media report: After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

The Coalition shared the location of this assessed strike with Airwars. The location was stated as the Jamili building in Raqqa.

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV0015079265
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 1st-June 2nd, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed five vehicles, three fighting positions, a front end loader and an ISIS crane.” It also later added that on June 1st “Near Raqqah, Syria, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, an ISIS-held building, and an IED.”
For June 2nd-June 3rd, the Coalition reported: "Near Raqqah, 10 strikes [1 British] engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 vehicles, five fighting positions, four tactical vehicles, two VBIEDs and an ammunition cache." For June 2nd, it added: "Near Raqqah, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions."

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

"Friday 2 June – Tornados and Typhoons destroyed an armoured truck near Raqqa, and attacked eight targets in Mosul…A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair used a Brimstone to destroy an armoured truck moving along a main road on the outskirts of Raqqa on Friday 2 June. Two other flights operated over Mosul, where attacks were delivered in very close support to the Iraqi forces, hitting eight Daesh positions with a mix of Brimstones and Paveway IVs. The targets included three machine-gun teams and three groups of terrorists armed with rocket-propelled grenades. In addition, a truck-bomb, concealed close to one of the positions, was also fortuitously detonated by one of the attacks."

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

CS1871b

Incident date

December 12, 2018

Location

Al Soussa, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.52933, 40.96344 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an event previously untracked by Airwars, the Coalition reported in its monthly civilian casualty report for September 2019 (published November 16th) that it had killed a civilian during an airstrike near Al Shaafah. The Pentagon later declared this to have been a US action.

According to the OIR report, “December 12, 2018, near Al Shafah, Syria, via self-report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of this strike.”

The Coalition provided Airwars with the location of this event to within 100 metres. The coordinates placed the event in the centre of al Soussa town.

In its annual civilian harm report to Congress published on May 6th 2020, the Pentagon declared this to have been a US incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Table from DoD's annual civilian harm report to Congress, May 2020, listing additional US civilian harm events in Iraq and Syria conceded for 2018.

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
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    1
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    Near Al Shafah
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU802226
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 15, 2019
  • December 12, 2018, near Al Shafah, Syria, via self-report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

On Dec. 12 in Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 26 strikes consisting of 52 engagements against ISIS targets.

Near Hajin, 25 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units, and destroyed 18 fighting positions, four staging areas, five supply routes, three petroleum oil and lubricant facilities, two financial nodes, one improvised explosive device facility and damaged three fighting positions.
Near Abu Kamal, one strike destroyed one fighting position.

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Wednesday 12 December – a Reaper hit four terrorist targets in Hajin, including a truck being loaded with weapons, whilst Tornados destroyed a Daesh operating base within the town…Reaper support to the SDF continued into Wednesday 12 December. Several terrorists were spotted in a treeline, and successfully targeted with a GBU-12. The Reaper’s crew then observed extremists loading a truck with weapons and ammunition; they and the vehicle were struck with a Hellfire missile. Two more Hellfire attacks were carried out during the patrol, one hitting a group of terrorists firing at the SDF, the other striking a number of terrorists as they held a meeting behind the front line. Tornados were also active over Hajin, as the SDF advanced ever further into the town, and they carried out a successful attack with three Paveway IVs against a Daesh operating base.

Dutch Military
  • English
    /
    Original

In de strijd tegen ISIS ondersteunden Nederlandse F-16’s grondtroepen tijdens 9 missies. Bij 8 werden wapens ingezet. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 12 t/m 18 december. De toestellen kwamen in actie boven de Syrische provincie Deir al Zour bij Abu Kamal. Hierbij zijn voertuigen, logistieke opslagplaatsen en strijders van ISIS aangevallen. Het F-16-detachement vliegt voor de anti-ISIS-coalitie nog tot en met 31 december. Daarna loopt het mandaat voor Nederlandse deelname af.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Incident Code

CS1961

Incident date

July 16, 2021

Location

ذيبان, Thiban, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.0162094, 40.5101418 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A man and his son were reportedly killed in a raid in Deir Ezzor’s Thiban town carried out by Syrian Democratic Forces with support of the US-led coalition at dawn on July 16, 2021.

The dead were identified as Miteb Sherida Al-Ghadir and his son Ahmed.

@Sada_AlSharqieh said they had been grazing their sheep at the time of the incident and “had no links with the terrorist organization ISIS or any other party”. NPA Syria meanwhile reported that two members of Islamic State had been killed, quoting a military source in the Syrian Democratic Forces. However, the ISIS members they were referring to were not named.

The Syrian Democratic Forces shot the two men dead, according to Jesr Press, when “a number of people fled for fear of arbitrary arrests” and “the patrol members opened fire directly on these people”. NPA Syria reported that a military source told them that the forces, “with the support of the International Coalition, carried out a landing operation on the Al-Latwa neighborhood in the town of Thiban, where clashes took place with ISIS members.”

Eyewitnesses told Furat SY that a “force consisting of several cars raided civilian homes, without warning, accompanied by indiscriminate shooting between the houses with the aim of terrorizing the ‘wanted’”. The two men were shot in front of their house, according to its reporting. “This incident sparked a wave of panic among the civilians and generated a state of anger and frustration among the relatives of the victims, forcing the SDF to withdraw from the town,” it added.

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
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Suspected target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of Mutaib Sherida Al-Ghadeer, who was killed in a raid in the town of Thiban on July 16, 2021. (Image posted by @YusufAd76532779)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of Ahmed Sherida Al-Ghadeer, who was killed in a raid in the town of Thiban on July 16, 2021. (Image posted by @YusufAd76532779)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a strike within the Latwa neighbourhood (حي اللطوة) in the village of Diban (ذيبان). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Dhiban are: 35.0162094, 40.5101418.

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Democratic Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Syrian Democratic Forces 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
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Suspected target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1994

Incident date

July 7, 2023

Location

بزاعة, Bza’a, Idlib, Syria

Airwars assessment

A civilian was injured by declared US drone strikes which killed an ISIS member on July 7, 2023 on the road between Al Bab and Bza’a, Syria.

The @SyriaCivilDefe reported that a person was killed while driving a motorcycle on the road between Al Bab and Bza’a and a civilian was slightly injured while passing through the location when unknown drones carried out strikes on the motorcycle. The civil defense volunteers transferred the remains of the person killed to Al-Bab Hospital.

Local source @mzmgr941 identified the person killed as Hammam Abu Anas al-Shami, born in 1993, who was originally from the Levant, lived in Al-Hasakah, and resided near the post office in the security square of al-Hamzat in Bza’a. The source added that Hammam’s wife is Kurdish and works at Al-Farabi Hospital in Al-Bab, and his parent’s names are Yasser and Zahia. @mzmgr941 identified the person injured as Adnan Al-Dari’i.

A tweet from @a1lsharqiapost added that the person on the motorcycle was killed immediately, and that the injured civilian Adnan is from the city of Al-Hasakah.

Two days after the incident, on July 9th, CENTCOM released a statement taking responsibility for the strike: “On July 7, U.S. Central Command conducted a strike in Syria that resulted in the death of Usamah al-Muhajir, an ISIS leader in eastern Syria.” CENTCOM also acknowledged the reporting that a civilian was injured but did not admit the civilian harm: “There are no indications that any civilians were killed in this strike, and the coalition is assessing reports of a civilian injury.”

Researchers told Sky News Arabia that Osama Al-Muhajir, also known as “Anas Al-Shami” and “Hammam Al-Shami” (the name referred to above by local sources), is a prominent security cadre in ISIS who has held several important positions, including “Wali of Al-Khair Province”, which is the Deir ez-Zor region. He was among those tasked with rebuilding ISIS networks and he resided in Idlib for nearly two years, after which he moved to the “Bza’a” area near the Syrian Al-Bab region.

Both CENTCOM and local source pointed out that the drone that carried out the strike is a MQ-9s, and that earlier in the day the same drone had been harassed by Russian aircraft.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adnan Al-Dari'i عدنان الدريعي
Age unknown injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • 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
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (23) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (19) [ collapse]

  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @bolad_h)
  • Civil Defense volunteers with the victim of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @bolad_h)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    ISIS leader killed by a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @bolad_h)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    ISIS leader killed by a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @bolad_h)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @alkhabour21)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @mzmgr941)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @a1lsharqiapost)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @HalabTodayTV)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    ISIS leader killed by a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by @DeirEzzore)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Victim of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)
  • Remnants of a US drone strike in Bza’a on July 7, 2023. (Image posted by Waleed Post via Facebook)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

Release Number 20230709-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – On July 7, U.S. Central Command conducted a strike in Syria that resulted in the death of Usamah al-Muhajir, an ISIS leader in eastern Syria.

“We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond.”

There are no indications that any civilians were killed in this strike, and the coalition is assessing reports of a civilian injury.

This will disrupt and degrade ISIS’s ability to plan and conduct terror attacks. However, CENTCOM’s operations against ISIS, alongside partner forces in Iraq and Syria, will continue in order to achieve the group’s enduring defeat.

The strike on Friday was conducted by the same MQ-9s that had, earlier in the day, been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • 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
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (23) [ collapse]