Geolocation
Airwars assessment
A civilian male killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes on Raqqa, local sources reported.
All three sources reporting the incident alleged that the Coalition was responsible.
No further details are presently known.
In their June 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that the allegation provided insufficient information on the timing and location of the strike to make a determination.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (3) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
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Nasser Al-Ali, killed in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa, June 30th 2017. (via RBSS)
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
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June 30, 2017, in Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. The report contains insufficient information of the time, location, or details to assess its credibility. 3117/CS1126 37SEV008784
Original strike reports
For June 30th-July 1st: “Near Raqqah, 11 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units, three fighting positions, three vehicles, a tactical vehicle and a mortar system.”
‘Friday 30 June – Tornados and Typhoons destroyed a truck-bomb and a Daesh-held building in Raqqa…The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh’s current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties. Royal Air Force Tornados and Typhoons provided close air support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushing into Raqqa on Friday 30 June. The Typhoons worked closely with a coalition surveillance aircraft which had spotted a large truck-bomb. A direct hit from a Paveway IV removed the threat. A Tornado pair meanwhile bombed a Daesh-held building in the south-east of the city.’