Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS2286 CS1105a

Incident date

June 15, 2017

Location

مراط, Mrat, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.31407, 40.23865 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an airstrike which hit Mrat, as many as 11 civilians were killed – including six from one family – and dozens more were wounded, according to local media. Sources were conflicted as to who was to blame. Most attributed blame to the Syrian regime, while Souriyati, blamed the Coalition. Others also blamed Russian warplanes for the raids. 

According to @raedsyrian002, “the Air Force destroyed one of the headquarters of a terrorist… and killed a large number of terrorist called Daesh”. This is the only source to report that members of Daesh were killed.

All other source have reported that “a family of 6 people [died[ as a result of the targeting of their house in the town of Marat in the eastern suburb of Deir Al-Azur by the warplanes”.

Four children, a woman and a man were included in the death toll.

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:

Family members (6)

Adult male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Child male killed
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mrat (مراط), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.31407, 40.23865. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 11
  • (4 children1 woman1 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, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ 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

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
    37SFV126085
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020
  • June 15, 2017, in Marat, 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. 3115/CS1105a 37SFV126085

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 11
  • (4 children1 woman1 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, US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]