Collateral damage in Syria and Iraq

December 7th 2015: Al Hawl, Dayr ez Zawr governorate, Syria

Summary: As many as 40 civilians were reported killed and 17 injured in an alleged US Apache helicopter or jet attack on the village of al Khan near al Hawl.

Locals were involved in an altercation with Islamic State militants according to McClatchy, with Coalition aircraft attacking a convoy of reinforcements as they entered the village.

According to local activist Siraj Al Hasskawi, six families were caught up in the attack whom he named as “the families of Awad Al Hadeed, Ayed Al Hadeed, Ali Al Samman, Ibrahim Al Abd, Abbas Al Salman and the family of Al Abboud.”

Hassakah Union named the dead as follows:
Ali Sleiman Al Abdallah and three children Bayan, Mohammed and a baby. Ali’s wife Nagiya – reported killed by some sources – was described by others as having lost a leg.
Abbas al Sleiman, his wife and 2 or more children
The wife of Mahmoud Al Aboud and their four children.
The wife of Hamid Al Aboud and two daughters, one named Rim.
Eid Al Shaker’s family of five people, including children.
The mother of Ibrahim Al Aboud and his wife and his two children.
The two wives of Mahmoud Al Abboud and his four children.
Five members of the family of Abbas Al Eid
Ten members of the family of A’ed Al Hadid killed or injured
Awwad Al Hadid, his wife and their son Ali and his wife and their granddaughter Isslam.
Mohammad Ali Salman Al Abdallah, a child, also later reportedly died of his injuries

According to reports, Kurdish forces allegedly prevented the filming of civilian victims at the local hospital. Al Jazeera also cited local Arab sources as claiming that “these [Kurdish] forces deliberately give incorrect coordinates to the Coalition in order to target and empty of their populations specific villages – and to prevent the return of the displaced.”

The Union of Hassakah Youth later condemened the incident: “We call on the United Nations and Amnesty International to carry out full investigations with the utmost urgency to expose the circumstances of this crime and to make those who committed it take full responsibility according to international law and the declarations of the UN.”

CENTCOM told reporters that it was assessing the claim, adding that “If the information is found to be credible, we’ll conduct an investigation, and we’ll release the results of that investigation.”

Civilians reported killed: 26-40, including 7-20 children, 4 women
Reported injured: 17
Sources: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Baladi News [Arabic], Asia News [Arabic], Hassakah Union – list of dead [Arabic], Hassakah Union (2) [Arabic], Union of Hassakah Youth [Arabic], Hassakah Union (3) [Arabic], Siraj al Hisskawi Facebook page [Arabic], Al Souria [Arabic], Al Jazeera [Arabic], Al A’maq [Daesh propaganda], VICE News, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (2), AFP, BBC News, McClatchy News, Syrian Network for Human Rights, Shaam News Network [Arabic], Union of Hassakah Youth [Arabic], EXTREMELY GRAPHIC Footage of a burnt corpse, Union of Hassakah Youth,
Quality of reporting: Fair

Coalition position: The Coalition reported that for December 6th-7th 2015 “Near Al Hawl, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), and three ISIL vehicles.”
And for December 7th-8th it was also reported that “Near Al Hawl, five strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.”

Source: http://airwars.org/civcas-2015/