A 53-year-old man died and up to four of his family members were wounded and rescued from the rubble of their home in Al Lataminah, following an alleged Russian airstrike or artillery shelling by the Assad regime, according to sources on the ground. Syria.tv noted that the adult male victim, Khaled Karmo Al-Hilal (named by multiple sources)
On Thursday 17 January, Typhoons attacked through cloud two Daesh positions which the SDF had under close observation – they confirmed both targets had been hit accurately – whilst Tornados bombed six more terrorist strong-points and firing positions.
According to local sources, artillery shelling targeted a civilian house in Kafr Zeita, north of Hama. The resident, a woman, allegedly died of her injuries on January 29th after being hit by a missile on January 16th. There were varying reports on the culprit; some sources blamed the Syrian regime while others blamed Russian forces.
Tornados delivered similar attacks on Wednesday 16 January, bombing a further truck-bomb facility to the north-east of Abu Kamal, then cratering in two places a road leading towards the SDF locations. One of the Paveways used to crater the road caused a secondary explosion, an indication that Daesh had probably planted a booby-trap at that location. Typhoons also flew support for the SDF, striking a Daesh-held building.
CHAMMAL
SITUATION MILITAIRE DU THEATRE
Offensive contre les dernières poches de Daech en Syrie
Dans la moyenne vallée de l’Euphrate, les forces démocratiques syriennes (FDS), appuyées par la coalition, progressent, amenuisant l’emprise territoriale de Daech.
Poursuite des actions de sécurisation en Irak
En Irak, la situation est inchangée. Une tendance positive se dessine dans la mesure où on assiste à une diminution importante du nombre de tués sur le territoire du fait d’actions terroristes. Daech conserve cependant des capacités de nuisance, tout en poursuivant sa posture de dissimulation et d’évitement face aux forces de sécurité irakiennes.
ACTIVITE DE LA FORCE
Le dispositif français déployé au Levant n’a pas évolué. Par l’opération Chammal, les armées françaises demeurent engagées, les modalités de l’engagement tenant compte en permanence des réalités du terrain. La priorité demeure de vaincre militairement cette organisation terroriste, et empêcher sa résurgence alors qu’elle passe à la clandestinité.
La Task Force Wagram en appui de l’offensive contre les dernières poches de Daech présentes dans la vallée de l’Euphrate
La Task Force (TF) Wagram appuie les forces démocratiques syriennes engagées contre Daech dans la région d’Hajine.
La TF Wagram a réalisé, depuis le territoire irakien, 12 missions de tir (12 d’éclairement– bilan du 09 au 15 janvier inclus).
Depuis le début de son engagement, la Task Force Wagram a réalisé 2458 missions de tirs.
Les bases aériennes en Jordanie et aux EAU en appui des operations
Les aéronefs français basés en Jordanie et aux Émirats arabes unis ont poursuivi leurs actions contre Daech, au sein de la coalition.
Cette semaine, les aéronefs de l’opération Chammal ont réalisé 20 sorties aériennes (bilan du 09 au 15 janvier inclus). Les Rafale ont conduit 6 frappes cette semaine en appui des forces démocratiques syriennes.
Bilan total de l’action du pilier appui aérien depuis le 19/09/14 :
8802 sorties / 1520 frappes / 2336 objectifs neutralisés.
Les Task Forces Monsabert et Narvik poursuivent leurs missions de formation
La Task Force (TF) Monsabert poursuit sa mission d’assistance et de conseil de l’état-major de la 6ème division irakienne.
La TF Narvik, poursuit sa mission de formation et de conseil de l’Iraki Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS), notamment dans les domaines du renseignement, du combat au corps à corps, et en conduisant des stages de remise à niveau.
A house in the town of Al Soussa was struck by what sources described variously as a drone strike, airstrikes, artillery shelling, a rocket or a rocket-propelled grenade, killing two named brothers. Three of their other brothers were reported injured. Although one source implied the brothers were members of ISIS, this was not mentioned by
On Sunday 13 January, Tornados were tasked with the destruction of a building five miles north-east of Abu Kamal where Daesh were known to be storing truck-bombs. The building and its contents was destroyed with a single Paveway; the Tornados then bombed a chokepoint on the nearby main road to prevent Daesh from moving any more truck-bombs into the area.
CJTF-OIR Strike Summary Dec. 30, 2018 – Jan. 12, 2019
SOUTHWEST ASIA – Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to target and pursue the enduring defeat of ISIS.
CJTF-OIR and its partner forces’ operations are exerting pressure on ISIS senior leaders and associates, as well as degrading, disrupting and dismantling ISIS organizational structures throughout Iraq and Syria.
CJTF-OIR remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS to improve conditions for peace and stability in the region, and to protect all our homelands from ISIS’s terrorist threat.
Strike Summary
Between Dec. 30, 2018 and Jan. 12, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 575 strikes consisting of 1,147 engagements in Syria, and conducted 13 strikes consisting of 19 engagements in Iraq.
In Syria, 575 strikes engaged 485 ISIS tactical units, and destroyed 308 staging areas, 220 fighting positions, 105 mortar, rocket and artillery systems, 57 supply routes, 50 manufacturing facilities for improvised explosive device and vehicle borne improvised explosive device, 31 command and control nodes, 26 vehicles, 19 weapons caches, 18 mortar launching sites, 18 petroleum oil and lubricant storage facilities, 11 heavy and light weapon systems, eight reservoirs and tankers for petroleum oil and lubricants, eight pieces of heavy equipment, seven vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, six tunnels and caves, four buildings, two unmanned aircraft systems, one weapons facility, one logistics hub and one fuel storage.
In Iraq, 13 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units, and destroyed 10 staging areas, five buildings, three tunnels and caves, one fighting position, one vehicle and one logistics site.
Between Dec. 30, 2018 and Jan. 12, 2019, CJTF-OIR detected 373 strikes from other actors that crossed the Euphrates River Valley. CJTF-OIR is committed to avoiding and in every case minimizing civilian casualties; CJTF-OIR calls on all other actors in the area to observe the same precautions.
This Coalition strike release contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing, or remotely piloted aircraft, rocket propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery.
A strike, as defined in the Coalition release, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location. For example, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined.
CJTF-OIR does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. The information used to compile the daily strike releases is based on ‘Z’ or Greenwich Mean Time.
CJTF-OIR Strike Summary Dec. 30, 2018 – Jan. 12, 2019
SOUTHWEST ASIA – Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to target and pursue the enduring defeat of ISIS.
CJTF-OIR and its partner forces' operations are exerting pressure on ISIS senior leaders and associates, as well as degrading, disrupting and dismantling ISIS organizational structures throughout Iraq and Syria.
CJTF-OIR remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS to improve conditions for peace and stability in the region, and to protect all our homelands from ISIS's terrorist threat.
Strike Summary
Between Dec. 30, 2018 and Jan. 12, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 575 strikes consisting of 1,147 engagements in Syria, and conducted 13 strikes consisting of 19 engagements in Iraq.
Between Dec. 30, 2018 and Jan. 12, 2019, CJTF-OIR detected 373 strikes from other actors that crossed the Euphrates River Valley. CJTF-OIR is committed to avoiding and in every case minimizing civilian casualties; CJTF-OIR calls on all other actors in the area to observe the same precautions.
This Coalition strike release contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing, or remotely piloted aircraft, rocket propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery.
A strike, as defined in the Coalition release, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location. For example, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined.
CJTF-OIR does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. The information used to compile the daily strike releases is based on 'Z' or Greenwich Mean Time.
Tornados gave further assistance to the Iraqi security forces on Saturday 12 January, when they were asked to demolish the entrances to a set of tunnels discovered in the countryside to the south-west of Mosul. Each of the three entrances was successfully struck with a Paveway IV.
A 14-year-old girl was reported killed in an alleged Russian or regime airstrike on Al Lataminah in northern Hama, according to sources on the ground. Local sources reported that a woman and her two daughters were wounded and that the girl died from her injuries hours later. There are varying reports about the exact number of
Eight alleged Israeli strikes were launched on Damascus International Airport at 11:15pm on January 11/January 12, 2019. Syrian Arab News Agency reported that “at 11:15 before midnight, Israeli warplanes coming from Galilee area launched several missiles towards the surroundings of Damascus and our air defenses immediately intercepted them and downed most of them.” The result
According to sources on the ground, air and artillery strikes targeted the town of Al Boubadran, which allegedly resulted in the deaths and injuries of an unspecified number of civilians. Most sources blamed the Coalition. Sousseh Facebook page specifically blamed “heavy shelling by French artillery and criminal airstrikes.” Although some sources also alleged that SDF artillery
An alleged Coalition airstrike struck a field hospital in the outskirts of the town Al Soussa in the eastern suburb of Deir Ezzor on the night between Thursday January 10th and Friday January 11th, killing more than 15 non-combatants including doctors and wounded patients being treated by ISIS on the site, according to reports. It is
According to sources on the ground, a family of five civilians was killed “by artillery shelling of SDF” on their house in the town of Al Soussa. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the family consisted of three children and their parents who were all killed. The Network dated the incident to January
On December 31st 2018, the participation of Netherlands F-16s in the international fight against so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria came to an agreed end, after almost four years of airstrikes.
Despite conducting precision airstrikes, the Coalition has not always been successful in preventing civilian casualties – with the alliance overall admitting at least 1,139 civilian deaths from its actions to date. Yet it is nearly impossible to find out when or even whether Dutch F-16s have been responsible for civilian casualties, making them the least transparent member of the international alliance.
Now that the F-16s and their pilots have safely returned home, Airwars is arguing that it is time for the Netherlands to take proper responsibility, and follow the good practice examples of other Coalition countries in demonstrating genuine public transparency.
Unclear figures
The Coalition conducts its own assessments into civilian harm, for example publishing monthly casualty reports. However their findings differ significantly from those of independent research initiatives such as Airwars. There is for example a sharp contrast between the 1,139 civilian death conceded by the Coalition to date, and the 7,316 or more civilian deaths assessed as likely according to the most conservative estimate of Airwars investigations.
This can partly be explained by the methods used by the Coalition to assess claims of civilian harm. The Coalition estimates the number of civilian casualties primarily based upon aerial observations, while Airwars estimates the numbers based on local reports from the ground. A New York Times investigation also made clear that the Coalition’s civilian casualty monitoring team applies a locational assessment radius of just 50m and often does not record the locations of delivered munitions. Claims of civilian harm are therefore dismissed too easily.
Even so, the US-dominated civilian casualty cell based within the Coalition has striven to identify civilian harm where it can – and to make public those findings. The same cannot be said of Dutch officials at the national level.
The Netherlands Ministry of Defence claims to be transparent because all allegations of civilian harm are referred to the Public Prosecution Service for assessment, even though these investigations are conducted behind closed doors. While the Defence Ministry admits responsibility for killing or injuring civilians in up to three airstrikes in Iraq investigated by the Public Prosecution Service, it continues to refuse to identify the dates and locations of these same events, or even the number of civilians harmed, citing operational security reasons.
The reluctance of the Netherlands to publish strike details of the assessed incidents sits at odds with greater civilian harm transparency from all other Coalition allies – and with recent broader improvements in levels of Dutch public accountability. Since the renewal of the air campaign in January 2018, the Netherlands has started including the location of the nearest large settlement to a strike in its weekly updates, making it easier for Dutch actions to be cross referenced against public claims over a time period.
However, officials are still refusing to make this same information public for historical Dutch actions between 2014-2016 – including those incidents investigated by the Public Prosecution Service.
The Ministry of Defence had long denied during the war against ISIS that its F-16s were causing civilian harm. That’s what makes it so important for the Ministry of Defence to provide information that enables external scrutiny.
Public transparency by other Coalition allies
The refusal of the Netherlands to disclose the dates and locations of the three events in which its aircraft are known to have harmed civilians runs counter to the public transparency evidenced by many other Coalition allies in recent years. The Netherlands was the fourth country (in addition to the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom) that publicly admitted to having caused civilian harm as a result of their actions against ISIS.
However, all three other countries have explicitly identified incidents in which their aircraft were involved – with no discernible impact of this disclosure either on operational or national security. In addition, there was no attempt by domestic media or others in those countries to single out pilots for blame. Over the duration of the war against ISIS, specific civilian harm allegations have been investigated and publicly commented upon by the United Kingdom; France; Belgium; Denmark; Canada; the United States; and Jordan. In each case, these close allies felt able to engage publicly on civilian harm issues without apparent fear of operational or national security blowback. The Netherlands should follow these examples of good practice, Airwars believes.
Public transparency on civilian harm issues is important for several reasons. First, Dutch citizens have a right to know what kind of war is fought in their name and at what cost. Second, the government is obstructing the natural process of justice for Iraqis and Syrians affected by Dutch airstrikes. According to the Coalition, each member of the alliance remains individually responsible for the civilians it kills or injures – and this includes making any compensation or solatia payments. Presently, the Defence Ministry chooses to withhold crucial information on the location and dates of four investigated strikes – where civilian harm appears likely in most events. This makes it impossible for the relatives of those Iraqis who fell victim to bombardments by the Netherlands to know in which events Dutch aircraft have been implicated.
Back in 2015, the UN’s Human Rights Council emphasized that all states conducting strikes in Iraq and Syria “are under an obligation to conduct prompt, independent and impartial fact-finding inquiries in any case where there is a plausible indication that civilian casualties have been sustained” and crucially, “to make public the results.” Let 2019 be the year that the Netherlands takes proper public responsibility for its military actions.
The following day [Jan 10th], Typhoons struck a further three buildings, again being used as strong-points by Daesh. A Reaper was also patrolling the area, and its crew conducted two successful engagements with Hellfire missiles on Daesh terrorists, including a pair spotted setting up a firing position on a rooftop
In Syria, our aircraft have continued to provide close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces as they clear the ever-diminishing pocket of Daesh territory south of Hajin and north of Abu Kamal. Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IVs, attacked three buildings six miles north-east of Abu Kamal on Wednesday 9 January; Daesh fighters in the buildings were engaged in a close-quarters firefight with the advancing SDF. A pair of Tornados meanwhile used two Paveway IVs to deal with a truck-bomb facility in the same area. .
CHAMMAL : Appui aérien à la reprise d’Hajin
Mise à jour : 08/01/2019
Le 7 décembre 2018, les Rafale de la base aérienne projetée au Levant ont participé à une mission décisive pour reprendre un centre de commandement occupé par Daech dans la ville d’Hajin, en Syrie.
Trois mois de combats ont été nécessaires pour venir à bout de la résistance d’un important centre de commandement urbain du groupe terroriste Daech en Syrie. Le groupe terroriste avait élu domicile dans l’hôpital d’Hajin, village au cœur de la moyenne vallée de l’Euphrate, transformant celui-ci en emprise militaire.
Depuis plusieurs semaines, après que la coalition et les forces terrestres partenaires ont vérifié l’absence de civils, les avions de la coalition ont effectué des frappes afin d’appuyer la progression au sol des forces démocratiques syriennes (FDS). Dans le cadre d’une mission d’appui aérien rapproché (Close air support), une patrouille de Rafale, décollant de la base aérienne projetée (BAP) au Levant, a délivré plusieurs bombes sur des positions de tirs ennemies.
Equipés de bombes de précision A2SM (armement air-sol modulaire) à guidage GPS et laser, les équipages de Rafale ont détruit des positions de mortier ennemi faisant feu sur les combattants FDS. L’armement a été délivré en toute sécurité, permettant ainsi la reprise de ce centre de commandement.
Depuis la BAP, les équipages de Rafale réalisent en moyenne une vingtaine de sorties par semaine. Ils poursuivent ainsi leur engagement à lutter contre les dernières emprises terroristes encore présentes dans la région.
Lancée depuis le 19 septembre 2014, l’opération Chammal représente la participation française à l’OIR (opération Inherent Resolve) et mobilise aujourd’hui près de 1 100 militaires. À la demande du gouvernement irakien et en coordination avec les alliés de la France présents dans la région, l’opération Chammal repose sur deux piliers complémentaires : un pilier « formation» au profit d’unités de sécurité nationale irakiennes et un pilier « appui » consistant à soutenir l’action des forces locales engagées au sol contre Daech et à frapper les capacités militaires du groupe terroriste.
Coalition aircraft remain available to assist the Iraqi security forces in their operations to prevent Daesh re-establishing any foothold in the country. An important part of this work is the ability to destroy terrorist stockpiles of weapons and other equipment concealed in remote areas of the countryside. On Monday 7 January, two RAF Tornado GR4s delivered an attack with a pair of Paveway IV guided bombs which successfully collapsed the entrance to a cave, fifty-five miles south-east of Kirkuk, where one such stockpile was known to be stored.
Weekoverzicht Defensieoperaties
Nieuwsbericht | 09-01-2019 | 12:00
De F-16’s en het 136 militairen tellende laatste detachement van de Air Task Force Middle East keerden terug uit Jordanië. De Nederlandse deelname stopte per 31 december. Een redeployment-eenheid zorgt ervoor dat alle goederen terug komen naar Nederland. Een overzicht van Defensieoperaties in de week van 1 t/m 7 januari.
In de laatste 10 dagen van het jaar zijn er nog 15 missies gevlogen. Hierbij zijn 10 keer wapens ingezet, tegen gevechtsopstellingen en opslagplaatsen van Islamitische Staat.
2 Nederlandse militaire adviseurs zijn begonnen aan hun functie binnen de NAVO-capaciteitsopbouwmissie in Irak, die sinds oktober loopt. Er nemen ook 4 Nederlandse civiele experts aan deel. De 600-koppen tellende missie richt zich op het versterken van de Iraakse veiligheidssector.
Sunday 6 January – a Reaper struck terrorists in eastern Syria, to the north of Abu Kamal…With the SDF pushing further to the south and east of Hajin, along the road to Abu Kamal, a Reaper again flew overwatch for them on Sunday 6 January. The Reaper tracked a Daesh group to a compound some miles north of Abu Kamal, and provided targeting support to coalition fast jets as they subsequently delivered an attack. Two terrorists attempted to take up a new position after the compound was bombed, but were successfully engaged by the Reaper, using a Hellfire missile.
In an event previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the deaths of two civilians and the injury of another near Marishidah, Syria. This was later declared to be a US-only civilian harm event. In its July 2019 monthly civilian casualty report, the Coalition noted the following: “Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against
In an event previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the injury of one civilian in an artillery strike near Ash Sha’fa, Syria. This was later confirmed by the Pentagon to be a US-only event. In its June 2019 civilian casualty report, the Coalition noted: “Coalition artillery conducted a strike against a Daesh
At 5am on January the 4th, an alleged Russian airstrike struck a farm in al-Mentar (Mazra’et Al Mentar) west of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern Idlib countryside injuring seven people, including a child and two women from the village of Al-Jibin, according to local media. Civil Defense Forces reportedly rescued the family who was trapped
Around 11 pm in the night of January 4th, 2018, alleged Russian airstrikes targeted the villages of Dera Azza, Urm Al Kubra, Al Rashidin and Rehab Al Mohandeseen. In the village Darat Izza, up to three civilians of the Qadili family were killed, including a father and son, while several more civilians were reportedly wounded. The Syrian Network
Alleged Coalition airstrike and artillery shelling targeted a residential area in Al Shaafa town, reportedly killing a total of six civilians. Among the declared victims were a family of four civilians that were killed when artillery shelling targeted their house. In addition, Sputnik reported the death of a Chechen civilian woman. Citing Khida Saratov, a member
Around 11 pm in the night of January the 4th, alleged Russian or regime airstrikes targeted the villages of Dera Azza, Urm Al Kubra, Al Rashidin and Rehab Al Mohandeseen, local media reported. In the village Urma Al Kubra, west of Aleppo, no civilians appear to have been killed but several were wounded. Reports varied on
An alleged Russian airstrike targeted the town of Al Taman’a west of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern Idlib countryside. The airstrike was one of three airstrikes with high-explosive missiles launched by a Russian aircraft, according to Ziad al-Aboud, commander of the “civil defense sector” in Khan Sheikhoun It is not clear whether there were civilian casualties as a
Local sources reported that one man was killed in an air or artillery strike in Al Soussa while he was leaving Friday prayers. While only the Coalition was known to be conducting airstrikes on the town at this time, Deir Ezzor 24 instead blamed regime artillery strikes. According to Hajin Magazine, “We have received the