Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2276 CS946a

Incident date

June 8, 2017

Location

عياش , Ayyash, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.42022, 40.05303 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four airstrikes were reported in Ayyash, southwest of Deir Ezzor city, by local media. The sources reported dozens of wounded and that one of the wounded, Thiab al-Rajwan, later died in hospital of the wounds sustained when his house was bombed. Sources were conflicted on who was to blame, with reports pointing to Russia, the Syrian regime and the US-led Coalition.

The Step News Agency said that Russia had carried out four raids on Ayyash, resulting in “dozens of wounded” civilians.

However, RFS Media Office pointed to the Syrian regime.

One source, DCHRS, reported that  Thiab al-Rajan was “killed in indiscriminate shelling by coalition forces.”

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.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ 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

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

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
    37SEV956201
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020
  • June 8, 2017, in Ayyash, 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. 3107/CS946a 37SEV956201

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 7th-8th, the Coalition reported: “Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.”

In the same report it was mentioned "Additionally, five strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 6 that closed within the last 24 hours," one of them was "Near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, one strike destroyed four ISIS oil tanks".

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (7) [ collapse]