Geolocation
Airwars assessment
One or two civilians were reported killed and three injured in ‘Coalition’ strikes on Al Bab. However, other reports claimed that Turkey and its FSA allies may have been responsible.
Sky News reported that Turkish tanks were advancing on Al Bab, while France 24 described Turkish airstrikes on the city. Reporting casualties, Halab News said “an unidentified man and woman were killed, following coalition raids on al Bab and they are civilians from the town.”
All 4 Syria said that both the Coalition and Turkey conducted strikes on the city: “Extensive Turkish air strikes in Al Bab destroyed four buildings and a car used by IS while coalition carried out six airstrikes and killed ten IS fighters. However, Al Amaq reported the death of a civilian and three others wounded due to Turkish tank bombardment.”
ISIS’s media wing also reported civilian casualties, initially noting “one dead and three civilians injured – one of them in a critical condition – following Turkish artillery bombardment of the city of Al Bab in the Aleppo countryside.” It also reported US airstrikes alongside Turkish artillery attacks.
In August 2017 the US-led alliance denied responsibility for the event, stating: “After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.”
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (12) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Bab (مدينة الباب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.371972, 37.51631. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
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.
Turkish Military Assessment:
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.
Original strike reports
For November 12th-13th, the Coalition reported no strikes in Aleppo governorate.