U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

In 2014 a U.S.-led coalition began a campaign of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria – officially known as Operation Inherent Resolve – following the capture of large swathes of the countries by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). An intense air and ground campaign drove ISIS out of almost all territory by 2018 but resulted in significant destruction and loss of life.

Airwars documented thousands of allegations of civilian harm from U.S.-led Coalition strikes and has conducted numerous major investigations and research papers on the topic.

Airwars estimate of civilian deaths

8,249 – 13,342

Locally reported civilian deaths from declared or likely U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by the U.S.-led Coalition. These originate from 3,003 separate alleged incidents.

1,728 – 2,371
children likely killed
1,127 – 1,468
women likely killed
5,930
likely injured
3,784
named victims

U.S.-led Coalition estimate of civilian deaths

1,457

Confirmed civilian deaths, from U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria, originating from 364 separate incidents of civilian harm.

411
civilians confirmed injured
Alleged deaths
19,217 – 29,816
Locally reported civilian deaths from U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria.
3,003 seperate alleged incidents
Confirmed or Fair
8,249 – 13,342
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by U.S.-led Coalition
1,553 seperate alleged incidents
Weak
2,397 – 2,821
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
435 seperate alleged incidents
Contested
7,877 – 12,576
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
783 seperate alleged incidents
Discounted
694 – 1,077
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
232 seperate alleged incidents
2996 incidents
Order results by:
Incident DatePublication Date

Incident Date

23 July 2017

Incident Code

CS1256

Location

نزلة شحادة, Ar Raqqah: Nazlah Shahadah/Furat neighbourhood, Raqqa, Syria
Three civilians, displaced from Palmyra, died in an airstrike on Nazlet Shahata according to local media. Only one source, @PalmyraRev1, explicitly blamed the Coalition. Other sources referred only to “bombing” and did not identify the culprit. In the first of their September 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible…

Summary

Published
23 July 2017
Civilians reported killed
3
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Date

23 July 2017

Incident Codes

CS1257 RS2355

Location

الشميطية, Shumeteya, Deir Ezzor, Syria
Three civilians from one family died (a father, his son and his daughter) and up to 20 more people were wounded in airstrikes in Shumeteya, according to local sources. No reports pointed directly at the Coalition – though several referred to unidentified “warplanes”. Other sources were conflicted as to whether this was the work of…

Summary

Published
23 July 2017
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
20
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition, Russian Military
View Incident

Incident Date

23 July 2017

Incident Code

CS1258

Location

الرقة‎, Ar Raqqah, Raqqa, Syria
Multiple local sources reported that one young male civilian had died from injuries sustained in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Raqqa. On July 31st, Palmyra Media Centre reported that “the body of Ahmed Mohammed Salim al-Sabta was found a week after he was killed by an air strike.” This would put the date of his…

Summary

Published
23 July 2017
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Date

23 July 2017

Incident Code

CS1258a

Location

Raqqa, Raqqa, Syria
In the Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report "War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality", one civilian was reportedly as killed in alleged Coalition artillery strikes in Raqqa. Although Airwars assesses single sourced incidents as "weak", researchers have assessed this incident "fair" due to the depth of material provided by Amnesty. The report stated that…

Summary

Published
23 July 2017
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Date

23 July 2017

Incident Code

CS1253

Location

قرب مدرسة طارق بن زياد, Near Tariq Bin Ziad School, Raqqa, Syria
Up to 25 civilians died and dozens more were wounded in an alleged Coalition airstrike near the Tariq Bin Ziad school in Raqqa, according to local sources. Damaspost put the death toll as high as 25, reporting “sources said that the American coalition fighters directly targeted Tariq ibn Ziyad School of Raqqa city center, and…

Summary

Published
23 July 2017
Infrastructure
Education
Civilians reported killed
6–25
Civilians reported injured
12–24
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Date

22 July 2017

Incident Code

CS1286a

Location

ساحة شماس, Ar Raqqah: North of Shammas Square, Raqqa, Syria
A family of 15, including eight children and three women, died in an alleged Coalition airstrike on their home in Raqqa, according to local sources. Reports – all of which pointed towards the US-led Coalition – named the victims as the Al-Zanna family. According to SHRC, they were displaced from the city of Tadef in…

Summary

Published
22 July 2017
Civilians reported killed
15
Civilians reported injured
1–3
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident