Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS1481 CS343b

Incident date

October 18, 2016

Location

الرميلة, al Rumaila, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.962828, 38.97563 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Twenty civilians, reportedly from three families, died and more were wounded in airstrikes on Raqqa’s al Rumaila neighborhood, local media said. Most reports attributed the event to Russia, though one source said that the Coalition carried out a strike which led to civilian casualties.

According to Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, “Russian planes targeted the al Rumaila neighborhood at the end of Al Saqiya road with several air raids which led to the martyrdom of three civilian families.”

@ALAMAWI and @ShahbaPress – also blaming Russia – putting the death toll at “20 civilians, including three families”.

However, @Q_Alenezy pointed towards the Coalition, saying “there were a number of martyrs and wounded after Coalition aircraft targeting the neighborhood of Al Rumaila in the city of Ar Raqqah yesterday night [Oct 18th].”

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 no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Saad Alenezi reports a number of dead and wounded in alleged coalition raids on Al Rumaila neighbourhood 'last night'. 19th October 2016
  • Alamawi news reports activists saying 20 killed, including three families, and other civilians wounded following alleged Russian raids on Al Rumaila neighbourhood in Raqqa 'last night'. 19th October 2016
  • RBSS reports alleged Russian strikes 'last night' on al Rumaila neighbourhood -towards the end of al Saqiya street. 19th October 2016
  • Sallah al Muftah reports alleged Russian strikes on Al Rumaila neighbourhood 'last night' killing three civilian families. 19th October 2016
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

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia has not reported any strikes between October 1st – 19th 2016.

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
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SEV027801
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020
  • Oct. 18, 2016, in Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3071/CS343b 37SEV027801

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reported no strikes in Raqqa from Oct 17th-19th.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]