Up to 45 civilians reportedly died and 15 were wounded following alleged US-led Coalition airstrikes to the north of Raqqah city, at the outskirts of the al-Tawassiya area. The victims were “gathered around a water well on Qitar (train) street” collecting water “due to the ongoing water cuts in the city for more than three months” local sources said.
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that the two remaining water wells in neighbourhoods controlled by the so-called Islamic State organizations were now out of service.
The lowest claimed death toll at 13 was reported by Raqqa24, the Syrian Network for Human Rights placed the toll at 16 whilst The Syrian Observatory documented 18 killed, including women and children. All other sources alleged 21 killed, with UNOCHA reporting up to 45 killed.
Al Jazeera noted the original report of the incident was released by the so-called Islamic State organization.
Sources who spoke to Al Bawaba said “The raids of the international coalition and the bombing of the Syrian Democratic Forces destroyed the water tanks that went out of service, and was targeting the last bakeries in the city for days.”
All sources suspected the US-led Coalition carried out the airstrike. However the Coalition itself pushed back, with the official spokesman openly attacking an AFP tweet: “To clarify: this is an ALLEGATION from a single source. takes extraordinary efforts to protect civilians & strike valid mil targets”
The UN however directly accused the Coalition of the event, reporting that “In early October, and preceding the SDF reported control over Ar -Raqqa city, intensified airstrikes and heavy shelling continued to result in civilian deaths, widespread destruction, and deteriorating humanitarian conditions for civilians remaining in Ar-Raqqa city. More than 400 airstrikes over a two-day period during the first week of October were reported, with airstrikes reportedly killing more than 70 people in Al Bado and Suhada’a neighborhoods. On 2 October, an airstrike hit a water well located in the outskirts of the Al Tawassoiya area in the north of Raqqa city, reportedly killing 45 civilians.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
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Reports of the incident mention a water well on Al Qitar street (القطار). This could refer to a water tower at a water company or administration on that street, located north of the city centre on the outskirts of the neighbourhood of Al Tawassiya (التوسعیة). This was one of the few remaining water towers that was not destroyed at that time, the coordinates for this water tower are: 35.957566, 39.011378.
A second water tower on Al Qitar street was also still standing, the coordinates for this tower are: 35.963037,39.009959.
In addition, other sources mention a “water well in Al Hadiqa Al Bayda which is in Al Tawassiya (التوسعیة) area”
