Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USYEMTr083

Incident date

May 8, 2017

Location

صحن الجن, Sahn Al Jin, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.505900, 45.326273 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple local language sources reported that US airstrikes targeted alleged AQAP militants with “phosphorous bombs” near Sahn Al Jin, in Marib governorate, on May 8th 2017.

Though most sources assigned responsibility to the US, two social media sources instead asserted that Saudi Arabian forces were responsible, leading Airwars to assess this event as Contested. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Sources indicated that “dozens” were killed and injured in the strikes, reportedly targeted alleged militants training on a farm near the Sahn Al Jin “Tadawin” camp. As such, Airwars has set the minimum number of deaths at twelve, with a maximum of 24, to reflect the description of “dozens”. Numbers of injured belligerents have been set similarly.

According to some sources, three phosphorous bombs were dropped in the area. Most suggested that the strikes were carried out by a drone, though some instead mentioned ballistic missiles.

Though no sources explicitly mentioned the timing of the reported strikes, alleged images of the strikes indicated that they took place during the night.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Incendiary
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Saudi-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    12–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    12–24

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Multiple local language reported that phosphorous bombs targeted alleged AQAP militants in or near Sahn al-Jin on May 8th 2017. Alleged photographs of the strikes indicated that they took place during the night. (@Net333Raed, May 8th 2017).
  • Multiple local language reported that phosphorous bombs targeted alleged AQAP militants in or near Sahn al-Jin on May 8th 2017. Alleged photographs of the strikes indicated that they took place during the night. (@Net333Raed, May 8th 2017).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a farm being struck in the vicinity of Sahn Al Jin (صحن الجن) military camp. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Sahn Al Jin are: 15.505900, 45.326273.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Saudi-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Saudi-led Coalition
  • Saudi-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Incendiary
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Saudi-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    12–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    12–24

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI551

Incident date

March 17, 2017

Location

الموصل الجديدة, Mosul, Mosul al Jadida / New Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3323266, 43.1050515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Coalition admitted responsibility for the deaths of  between 105 and 141 civilians in an airstrike on a house in West Mosul’s al Jadida area on March 17th (event CI550).

However, locals have claimed that as many as 230 or even 520 civilians were killed in the catastrophic event at al Jadida – though these higher numbers may conflate a series of events over a number of days of violence in the neighbourhood. To reflect these numbers and the confusion in reporting, Airwars has created this additional event at al Jadida, which has been graded ‘Contested’.

In their monthly civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of this civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    125 – 370
  • Civilians reported injured
    25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Open incident
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    125 – 370
  • Civilians reported injured
    25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Incident Code

RS1634

Incident date

November 18, 2016

Location

دوما , Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria

Geolocation

33.5714804, 36.4033699 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 20 civilians including four children died and dozens more were wounded in air or and artillery strikes on Douma, local media reported. The majority of sources blamed Russia, though Syriansnews said that “Russia and Assad” had launched multiple strikes on Damascus, including Douma, on this day.

Syrian Reporter said: “Our correspondent in al-Ghouta al-Sharqiyah said that air raids and artillery shelling continued since 7 pm on Thursday on the cities of Douma, Harsta and Arbeen.

“The death toll had risen to more than 20 – mostly children – and most of them in the city of Duma, which received the largest share of the bombing.”

Smart News Agency added” “In the countryside of Damascus, the mosques of the city of Duma today [Nov 18th] called for the cancellation of the Friday prayers, coinciding with an air and artillery bombardment”.

Among the named fatalities were three children and their mother.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Karam al-Wazir
Child killed
Kadi al-Wazir
Child killed
Obada al-Wazir
Child killed
Samar Ruslan
Adult female Mother of the above three children killed

The victims were named as:

Yamin
Child Reportedly wounded and requiring a jaw operation. injured
Khaled Turk
Adult male killed
Ibrahim Ali Ibrahim
Age unknown male killed
Said Marjan "Pepper"
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (4 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The aftermath of the strikes on Douma, including images of dead children.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    'Yamin is a child who was injured today in the eastern Gouta and needs a jaw operation'.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Khaled Turk, killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th.
  • Said Marjan "Pepper", killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th (via Douma.Revolution.2011)
  • Said Marjan "Pepper", killed in a strike on Douma, Nov 18th (via Douma.Revolution.2011)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones.”

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 20
  • (4 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1633

Incident date

November 18, 2016

Location

حي طريق الباب , Tareeq al Bab neighbourhood, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.371972, 37.51631 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and ten civilians including a woman and up to three children died and as many as 17 others were wounded in alleged Russian or regime air or artillery strikes on Aleppo’s Tareeq al Bab neighbourhood, according to sources on the ground.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights pointed to Russia, putting the death toll at a minimum of four including two children and a woman.

Accoridng to @shahed_alep, there were  “six martyrs, including three children with 15 more wounded in a Russian bombardment”.

According to Syrian News Desk, seven civilians were killed, all of them from one family, and more than 13 others wounded, in the afternoon, due to the Russian warplanes.

Syriansnews put the death toll higher at 10.

But Aawsat said that the regime had also carried out strikes. It reported: “warplanes launched more 50 air strikes and 300 artillery and missile shells, and distributed the bombing on the neighborhoods of Sakhour, logo, Dhahra Awad, Hananoo, Tareeq Al Bab, Qatraji, Ansari Khadr, Al Fardous, Al Salhin, the Maadi, land in Hamra and Jabal Badro. These raids led to the fall of more than 35 martyrs and hundreds of wounded.”

A number of other sources said that chlorine gas had been dropped on the neighbourhood by helicopters.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mohammad Habboush
Age unknown male killed
Mohammad Ahmad Habboush
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 10
  • (2–3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • '6 martyrs, including 3 children and 17 wounded civilians in Russian raids with concussion bombs on the neighborhood of Tareeq Al Bab in Aleppo # besieged.'

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones.”

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 10
  • (2–3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1603

Incident date

November 17, 2016

Location

حي الانصاري, Al Ansari (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1529125, 37.075864 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians including women and children died in air or artillery strikes on Al Ansari, Aleppo, though it was unclear whether Russia or the Syrian regime were to blame.

Alsharq and the Smart News Agency put the death toll at one, but all other sources said three people died.

Baladi and @heba_alhomsy222 both blamed Russia. 

Sdusyria placed the toll at three, also including women and children. The source blamed “Assad helicopters”, as did the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “shelling by regime forces with artillery and rockets in the neighborhoods” of Aleppo resulted in the deaths.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Smoke rusing above Al Ansari following alleged Russian airstrikes, November 17th (via Baladi)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any specific strikes between November 1st – 30th 2016.

On 6 January 2017, Russia, however, reported: “Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria”, adding that ”in the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones”.

Additionally, Russia reported that its air forces have carried out strikes in Aleppo during November and December 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

R915a

Incident date

July 16, 2016

Location

مشفى عمر بن عبد العزيز في حي المعادي, Omar Abd Al Aziz Hospital, Al Maadi, Aleppo, Syria

Airwars assessment

According to local sources, there were injuries to medical staff and material damage to the Omar Bin Abdul Aziz Hospital in the Maadi neighbourhood in Aleppo on July 16th 2016 after an alleged Russian or Syrian regime missile targeted the healthcare facility.

Other local sources, such as Radio Al Kul and @salqin also described that there were deaths but did not state the number. It reported that there were “martyrs, wounded, and massive destruction of residential buildings, and Omar Bin Abdul Aziz hospital was out of service as a result of the helicopters dropping naval mines on the neighbourhood of Maadi in the old Aleppo.”

There was a mixture of reports blaming both the Russian forces and the Syrian regime. Aleppo AMC posted on Facebook that the “Regime’s helicopters targeted with more than eight naval mines Omar Bin Abdul Aziz Hospital.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • @AFPar photo of two paramedics at the Omar Abdel Aziz Hospital in the Maadi neighbourhood which was reportedly targeted by Russian or Syrian regime missiles on July 16th 2016 (Image via Twitter)
  • @SN4HR tweeted that their were "government warplanes bombarded with missiles near Omar Bin Abdul Aziz Hospital in the neighbourhood of Aleppo" on July 16th 2022 (Image via Twitter)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Healthcare facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI093

Incident date

August 19, 2015

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34585235, 43.09857692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources claimed that a Coalition airstrike aimed at an ISIL vehicle instead hit nearby celebrations, killing 18 people including three medics. One was later named as dentist Dr. Samir Ibrahim while the UN noted that a father and child died in the reported event.

According to NINA, the deaths occurred when a missile accidentally struck celebrants at a festival in a square in north Mosul.

The monitoring site Jihadology later published a comment from a pro-ISIL website: “This man was one of the noble ones of Mosul who refused to leave the city, unlike others who abandoned their people in their time of need, fearing death, hunger or anything else…God willing on the Day of Judgment we will dispute with every doctor, engineer or even student who left Mosul in the time when solidarity and standing together in the path of turning the wheel of life were needed. But praise and thanks be to God we do not need those who abandoned us as they need us.”

In a January 2016 study, the United Nations Mission in Iraq noted that an alleged targeted killing of a Daesh official had also reportedly slain a father and daughter. According to UNAMI, “On the afternoon of 18 August, a man and his 12 year-old daughter were reportedly killed when an airstrike hit al-Minassa street, northern Mosul. The airstrike allegedly targeted a vehicle carrying three assistants to ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and a judge of an ISIL self-appointed court, who were all killed.“

In its monthly civilian casualty assessment for October 2019 – published on December 5th of that year – the US-led Coalition assessed this event to be ‘non credible’, noting: “August 19, 2015, in Mosul, Iraq, 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. 2811/CI093 38SLF294240”.

The Coalition also provided coordinates showing the area it had assessed, accurate to within 100 metres.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Dr. Samir Ibrahim
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    18
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Image of Dr. Samir Ibrahim (via Al Mustaqbal News)

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
  • Stated location
    in Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF294240
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 5, 2019

  • August 19, 2015, in Mosul, Iraq, 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. 2811/CI093 38SLF294240

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For August 18th-19th 2015, the Coalition noted that “Near Mosul, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.“

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    18
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM138-C

Incident date

December 28, 2012

Location

شحير, Near the hospital in Shoheer, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

14.686050, 49.395009 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the evening of December 28, 2012, an alleged US drone strike fired missiles at a moving motorcycle killed between two to four alleged AQAP militants near the town of Shaher, near the site of a strike four days earlier. An investigation by an NGO revealed that a 10 year old child was also wounded.

A child, Mawz Hassan Abdullah Hassan, 9/10 years old, was wounded in the arm and hand by the attack which hit in a residential area, Alkarama reported. His mother, Um Hassan, aged 37 stated that her son did not know exactly where his injury came from, yet the bomb fragment was identified in the hospital later. She told Alkarma “It was a Friday; we were sitting in front of our tent before lunch. My son was playing 50 m away when we heard a loud explosion without knowing where it had occurred. I went out to call my son Hassan, who ran off in the opposite direction to our home. We caught him and brought him back. His hand was bleeding profusely. We asked him what had happened and he fell. He did not know where the injury came from. We took him to the hospital where the doctor warned us that bomb fragment had hit the bone of his forearm and he needed surgery to remove the fragment…We had to pay ourselves, while we have 10 children and we are very poor. And now, two months later, Hassan complains of pain in the hand that was hit by the explosion.”In addition, a demonstration took place later in Shoheer to denounce the alleged US raid. According to news on Twitter from @hadhramoutnet, thousands of residents of the Shoheer town took part in the march against further drone strikes from the US.

There were conflicting reports of the details and deathtoll for the attack. Xinhua reported the strike took place near a hospital in Shoheer while local press reported the targeted men had been riding separate motorbikes and had been targeted in “separate attacks”.  “Two members of Al Qaeda on a motorcycle died on the spot when targeted by a missile fired by a US drone,” an unnamed local official told AFP. The identities of the two killed are not disclosed yet there are reports that the alleged members were foreigners. A delegation from Swiss-based NGO Alkarma investigated the strike, reporting in July 2013 that Shoheer resident Hassan Ibrahim Suleiman told them as many as three missiles hit two motorcycles. “The three bodies were shredded. We collected the remains without knowing who they were,” he said.

The majority of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to the US, with some sources identifying airstrikes while others refer to drone strikes.

The incident occured around midday.

The victims were named as:

Mawz Hassan Abdullah Hassan
10 years old male Reportedly "wounded in the arm and hand" injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (34) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)
  • Damage from an alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)
  • Damage from an alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted two motorcycles near the hospital in the coastal town Shoheer (شحير). The coordinates for the hospital are: 14.686050, 49.395009. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the precise location of the strike.

  • Location of the hospital in Shoheer (شحير), and the stadium where the strike earlier that week took place

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (34) [ collapse]