Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS854 CS224a

Incident date

June 5, 2016

Location

شعيب الذكر, Shai'eeb al Zakar, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.800735, 38.267642 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians including three children died in an airstrike on airstrike on Shai’eeb al Zakar, according to local sources though reports were conflicted as to whether Russia or the Syrian regime were responsible, with one report saying that the warplanes were thought to have belonged to the US-led Coalition.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently blamed a Russian strike on the village and named the victims.

In a news roundup, the Shaam News Network also blamed Russia, but did not provide casualty numbers.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, five civilians died in “bombing by Syrian and Russian warplanes” on “the villages of Jebbat al-Ghawali and Horat al-Jaryat south of al-Tabaqa city in the western countryside of Al-Raqqah.”

However, according to iumsonline, the Coalition may have responsible: “Warplanes thought to be from the coalition killed 5 civilians in Shai’eeb Al-Zakar one of whom is a displaced from Palmyra.”

In the second of their March 2020 civilian casualty reports, 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:

Yasser Mohammad al Gharir
Age unknown male killed
Khaled Mohammad al Gharir
Age unknown male killed
Ahmad Mohammad al Gharir
Age unknown male killed
Mahmoud Abd al Khalek al Gharir
Age unknown male killed
Abu Ra’ad al Udwan
Age unknown killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Shai’eeb al Zakar (شعيب الذكر), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.800735, 38.267642. 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
    5
  • (3 children4 men)
  • 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 belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Unknown Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Unknown

Russia has not reported any strikes between June 1st – 31st 2016.

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
    37SDV366623
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 25, 2020
  • June 5, 2016, in Shai’eeb al Zakar, 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. 2969/CS224a 37SDV366623

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 5th-6th, the Coalition reported: "Near Ar Raqqah, one strike destroyed an ISIL workover rig and an ISIL crane"

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (3 children4 men)
  • 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 belligerents
    Unknown, Syrian Regime, US-led Coalition

Sources (17) [ collapse]