Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

RS2358

Incident date

July 22, 2017

Location

رسم العبد , Rasim Al-Abid, Hama, Syria

Geolocation

35.074965, 37.843781 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two women died in an alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrike on Rasim Al-Abid, according to sources on the ground.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

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
    2
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI656

Incident date

April 20, 2017

Location

الثورة, Mosul, Thawra, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34389, 43.103399 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what appeared to be a separate event to the previous day’s casualties, Amnesty field investigators spoke with survivors of an April 20th strike on Al Thawra which killed two people and injured dozens more.

Amnesty’s published report reads as follows: “According to “Mustafa”, a young father displaced to al-Thawra neighbourhood from elsewhere in west Mosul, at around 8.30am on 20 April, an IS fighter entered the house where he had taken shelter in al- Thawra neighbourhood via a hole in the wall. IS had made holes in the walls of adjoining houses so they could enter and exit at will and without being seen from above. The IS fighter walked through the house and exited into the street via the main gate. An hour later, at around 9.30am, there was a strike on the house.

Mustafa told Amnesty International: “I was sitting in the back room of the house, the one furthest away from the street. I was smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of tea with some cake. My sister came into the room and I moved over and told her to come and sit next to me. She sat down next to me and at that moment the explosion happened. I don’t know for sure that it was a strike from a plane but that’s what our neighbours told us. Perhaps they knew from the sound.”

The house was near the Palestinian school. It had two-storeys, with two downstairs rooms and one upstairs room. Due to heavy population concentration in areas under IS control, there were 104 people in the house at the time, attempting to huddle for safety in the corners of rooms. Two people were killed, including Mustafa’s 27-year-old nephew, who was pulled out of the rubble, taken to an IS-run hospital and left to bleed to death after hospital personnel told the family there were no doctors available to treat him. Almost everyone in the house was injured in some way, some severely, including a 40-year-old man who suffered spinal injuries that left him paralysed. The likely intended target of the attack had left the house one hour before the strike occurred, leaving only civilians as victims.

Another witness, “Khaled”, from al-Hermat, described the situation: “IS used our houses. If there were planes in the sky they’d come in through the front door. Otherwise they’d use the openings [the holes IS made in people’s houses to be able to come and go unnoticed by drones in the sky]. They’d enter a house, go up to the roof and shoot at the helicopters or in the direction of Iraqi forces’ positions. Then they’d leave. Fifteen minutes later the house would be hit. But we knew their [pro-government forces’] behaviour. As soon as IS left the house after shooting we’d collect our families and go as quickly as we could to another house. We’d run through the openings just like IS does and into someone else’s house.”

Based upon the information available, this attack appears to be either a direct attack on a civilian object or an attack which should have been cancelled because the intended target was no longer present. A strike in which there was such a failure to take feasible precautions could amount to an indiscriminate attack.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    70
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
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
    a:1:{i:0;s:21:"insufficient_evidence";}
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Al Thawra, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF296240
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Feb 22, 2018

  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For April 18th-19th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, eight strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units, destroyed 11 fighting positions, six rocket-propelled grenade systems, five anti-air artillery systems, four medium machine guns, four VBIEDs, a weapons cache, a front-end loader, an ISIS vehicle, a command and control node; and suppressed four fighting positions, four ISIS supply routes and four ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    70
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Incident Code

CS1904

Incident date

March 7, 2019

Location

مخيم الباغوز, Al Baghouz camp, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

34.447579, 40.953426 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unspecific number of civilians were killed and injured, in renewed US-led Coalition airstrikes on Al Baghouz camp. All sources blamed the Coalition for the strikes. 

Reportage by @banipon9 showed images and footage of “charred” civilians due to the use of internationally banned phosphorous bombs.

According to Sana news “claiming the lives of a number of citizens, most of them were women and children”.

Both Al alam and the Step News Agency reported that “white phosphorus” was used in the strikes.

Al Baghouz, near the Syrian-Iraqi boarder, has endured shelling by the Coalition for an extended period of time now.

The following day on the 8th of March, it was reported by Al alam News that the number of civilians was likely to rise, with no specific details.

In June 2019 the Coalition announced that it had assessed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting “After a review of available information, it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An injured child is charred in the aftermath of a phosphorous bomb attack on Al Baghouz camp, Deir Ezzor, 7th March 2019. (via @banipon9)

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
  • Stated location
    near Baghouz, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU795135
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 27, 2019

  • Mar. 7, 2019, near Baghouz, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of available information, it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

Between Feb. 24 - March 9, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 99 strikes consisting of 139 engagements against Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq.In Syria, CJTF-OIR conducted 97 strikes consisting of 137 engagements, engaged 228 Daesh tactical units, and destroyed 71 tactical vehicles, 35 vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, 17 supply routes, 11 fighting positions, 10 weapons caches, eight staging areas, four command and control nodes, two tunnels, two heavy machine guns, one anti-aircraft gun, one fuel tanker, and one boat.

French Military
  • English
    /
    Original
Official source

For February 27th to March 5th, French MoD report 4 firing missions from the Iraqi territory by Task Force Wagram. Aircraft carried out 18 sorties. There was one strike.

CHAMMALSituation militaire du théâtreOffensive contre les dernières poches de Daech en SyrieEn moyenne vallée de l’Euphrate, les combats menés par les Forces démocratiques syriennes, appuyées par la coalition, se poursuivent autour de la ville de Baghouz.Poursuite des actions en IrakLa situation sécuritaire reste stable. Les Forces de sécurité intérieures poursuivent leur effort dans la lutte contre Daech.ACTIVITÉ DE LA FORCELe dispositif français déployé au Levant n’a pas évolué.La Task Force Wagram en appui de l’offensive contre les dernières poches de Daech présentes dans la vallée de l’EuphrateLa Task Force (TF) Wagram continue d’appuyer les forces démocratiques syriennes contre Daech au sud de la ville d’Hajin.La TF Wagram a réalisé, depuis le territoire irakien 4 missions de tir (soit 1 mission d’aveuglement et 3 missions de certification – bilan du 27 février au 05 mars inclus).Les bases aériennes en Jordanie et aux EAU en appui des opérationsLes aéronefs français basés en Jordanie et aux Émirats arabes unis poursuivent leurs actions contre Daech, au sein de la coalition.Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 18 sorties aériennes (bilan du 27 février au 05 mars inclus). Les Rafale français ont conduit une frappe cette semaine.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TS138

Incident date

January 29, 2018

Location

جنديرس, Jindires, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.391667, 36.693056 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Step News Agency reported that there were “killed and wounded in the ranks of civilians as a result of Turkish raids targeting the area of the Jendres countryside”.

Other sources also reported an unspecified number of killed and wounded civilians.

There are no other details available at this time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 town of Jindires, Afrin (جنديرس), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.391667, 36.693056. 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

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

CS937

Incident date

June 8, 2017

Location

مزرعة القحطانية, Mazra'at al Kahtaniyah, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.988333, 38.924444 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed in Mazra’at al Kahtaniya village, according to local media – though sources are conflicted as to whether this was the result of a Coalition airstrike or a land mine.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, “Ali al Omar al Rwayjeh, from Raqqa city, died along with his brother Yousef in International Coalition warplanes missiles fired on Mazra’et al Qahtaniya village in Raqqa governorate northern suburbs on June 8, 2017″.

Al Ragga Truth reported that Ali Saleh al Rwayjeh and Yusuf Omar al Rwayjeh (both from Mazra’at al Qahtaniya) were killed in a “mine explosion”. Soheb1800 also blamed a land mine for their deaths.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ali al Omar al Rwayjeh
Age unknown male killed
Yousef
Age unknown male brother of Ali al Omar al Rwayjeh killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Ali al Omar al Rwayjeh, killed in an alleged Coalition strike on Mazra’at al Kahtaniya village, June 8th, according to SN4HR.
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 Mazra’at al Kahtaniyah, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SDV930826
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018

  • 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

US-led Coalition
Official source

For June 7th-8th: “Near Raqqah, 22 strikes engaged 16 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 fighting positions, three vehicles, two ISIS staging areas, an ISIS excavator, an ISIS weapons cache, and an ISIS training camp.” It also added that “On June 7, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed six fighting positions and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” And that “On June 7, near Raqqah, Syria, one strike destroyed an ISIS minefield.”
For June 8th-9th, the Coalition reported: “Near Raqqah, nine strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, three vehicles and a mortar system.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS2713

Incident date

November 11, 2017

Location

التمانعة, Al-Taman'a, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.457626, 36.750314 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A man and a girl were killed, and six other civilians were wounded, in airstrikes which struck a farm in Al-Taman’a. Sources all either blamed Russia for the strikes, or did not attribute blame to a belligerent. @HomamAlHassan however blamed Syrian regime warplanes.

The civilians were killed on a farm while while harvesting olive crops, according to Shaam – who did not apportion any blame.

The man and child were killed, while six others, including a child and two women were injured, according to Smart.

Syrian Observatory reported that mortar shells were fired on the vicinity. While Syrian Network for Human Rights alleged that missiles were fired. In a similar fashion, Step News reported that cluster bombs were used in the raid.

There were several injures according to sources, however Smart later specified that six civilians faced injuries.

Three of those injuries were critical due to shrapnel wounds in the head and victims were transferred to nearby medical points.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mariam Ibraheem al-Jobasi
Child female killed
Adnan Mohammad Omer al-Jobasi
Adult male killed
Mohamed Joubassi
Age unknown injured
Petun Jopasi
Age unknown injured
Salaf al-Bakri
Age unknown injured
Adnan Basil Joubassi
Age unknown injured
Iman Gobasi
Age unknown injured
Nhonad Jobasi
Age unknown injured

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Civilians killed and wounded whilst harvesting olives, Al-Taman'a, 11th Nov 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civilians killed and wounded whilst harvesting olives, Al-Taman'a, 11th Nov 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civilians killed and wounded whilst harvesting olives, Al-Taman'a, 11th Nov 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Civilians killed and wounded whilst harvesting olives, Al-Taman'a, 11th Nov 2017. (via @SyriaCivilDefe)
  • Adnan Mohammad Omer al-Jobasi., killed by airstrikes 11th Nov 2017. (via Alsaif alshami)

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 type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS057

Incident date

October 18, 2015

Location

الزربة, Az Zarbah, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.06763, 36.97987 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilian males were reported killed when their car was struck in an alleged Russian airstrike at Zerbeih. Three people were also reported injured in the attack. The men were named by VDC as Mohammad Subhi Basheir and Abdo Ali.

Footage and interviews from the town showed extreme damage to at least one civilian neighbourhood.

An eyewitness described the attack for Smart News: “We were over there and I went over there to do somethings when the planes hit over there. After an hour it came back again and hit from the western side, it hit the house over there with two missiles and there’s a house east of Zerbeih, they hit it three times.”

Reporter: And it’s all kids, civilians?

Witness: Yes children and there are people injured. There was a family here, some were injured and others killed and there were shops all along here.

Reporter: Are there any bases or anything?

Witness: There are no bases. we’re all civilians here, there’s nothing else.

 

 

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Subhi Basheir
Adult male killed
Abdo Ali
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Zarbah (الزربة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.06763, 36.97987. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Unknown
Official source

Russia confirmed carrying out strikes in Aleppo governorate for October 18th-19th 2015: “Russian aviation performed 33 combat sorties from the Hmeymim airbase engaging 49 ISIS facilities in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia and Hama provinces… Near Djdayda settlement (Aleppo province), Su-25 attack aircraft eliminated a workshop used for production of self-made rockets. The equipped facility manufactured single-use launching ramps and rockets for distant fire at Syrian Armed Forces’ positions and inhabited areas. The direct hit of an air bomb resulted in detonation of explosives and destruction of the whole facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS153

Incident date

November 15, 2015

Location

الميسر, Myassar, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1943476, 37.2082043 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed – an uncle and nephew – and two or more people injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on the  Myassar neighbourhood of Aleppo.

Local media activist Hassan al Ahmad posted an image of the dead boy with the comment: “This is how Syria’s children are being killed as if their blood is cheap. A child martyr died today in al Mayssar neighbourhood in Aleppo by the treacherous Russian planes.” The boy’s image was later used in a tweet relating to civilians allegedly killed in Raqqa.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image of the child killed in al mayssar neighbourhood in Aleppo

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has published no details of its Syria airstrikes for the period November 13th-16th 2015 inclusive.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]