Incident Codes

RS904 CS229

Location

‏الغوز‬, Al Ghouz, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.4652905, 37.2927583
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Codes: R810S207)

A family of seven civilians died in an airstrike on the village of Al ghouz, according to local sources – though reports were conflicted as to whether this was the work of Russia or the Coalition.

Aleppo 24 reported that a suspected Russian cluster bomb raid was responsible.

Other sources, including Al Mukhtassar, @ALAMAWI  and Nabd Syria all blamed Russia.

According to Nabd Syria, Russia warplanes killed ten 10 civilians – and wounded others – in “towns of Alguz and Al Samoukah and the Shahba dam area in the countryside north of Aleppo”.

However, LCCSY pointed towards the Coalition, reporting the death of seven people from one family in “airstrikes with cluster bombs, believed to be by International Coalition warplanes.”

Zmanalwasl also said that the bombing was likely carried out by the Coalition.

In the first 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.

Key Information

Country
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
7
1 Child, 1 Woman
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Ghouz (‏الغوز‬), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.4652905, 37.2927583. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Unknown Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Unknown
Unknown position on incident
Not yet assessed
Unknown Strike Report
Russia has not reported any strikes between June 1st – 31st 2016.
U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
MGRS coordinate
37SCA470369
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For June 13th - 14th: • Near Manbij, 13 strikes struck 10 separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL cave entrances, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL command and control node, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL security headquarters. • Near Mar’a, three strikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and an ISIL mortar system. For June 14th - 14th: * Near Manbij, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2020-03-25
Original Source
June 14, 2016, in Al Ghouz, 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. 2972/CS229 37SCA470369

Media From Sources (1)