![]() Our current estimate is that between 76 and 128 civilians were slain in Coalition actions in Deir Ezzor throughout February. Indeed, Airwars tracking indicates that the number of civilians likely killed by Coalition strikes in February rose by 27% on January’s minimum figures. The intensity of the Coalition’s assault often placed civilians on the ground in grave danger. The Coalition had that month declared 152 strikes on the city, an average of five strikes per day.Įven in February 2019, – a month in which Coalition actions dropped steeply – there were still on average over two and a half times as many strikes per day reported in Al Baghouz than were seen at Mosul. An Airwars analysis of both strikes and engagements in the so-called MERV indicates a higher tempo of Coalition actions in Syria in the first two months of 2019 than were recorded at Mosul during March 2017, the most intense and deadly period of that battle. This steep fall in strikes may be misleading as an indicator of the intensity of Coalition activity within the tiny Al Baghouz pocket. According to AFCENT, 607 air released bombs and missiles were fired across Iraq and Syria during February – compared to 2,005 munitions the previous month. Munitions dropped from the air also fell by 70% on January. A total of 365 air and artillery strikes were conducted in Syria from January 27th to February 23rd according to official data, a 70% fall on the previous four week period. Intensity of Coalition strikes in Al Baghouz pocketĪ slowdown in the SDF’s advance was reflected in Coalition strike numbers in February. Thousands of civilians still remained trapped, taken as hostage and used as human shields by ISIS or simply refusing to leave – once more postponing any declaration of victory. By February 16th, ISIS was now reportedly cornered within a 600-700 square metre area of the town. ![]() On February 9th, following a week-long pause to allow civilians times to flee, SDF ground forces backed by US-led Coalition air and artillery strikes, again announced a ‘final’ operation to seize the town.īy February 12th, it was estimated that 20,000 civilians had fled ISIS-held areas within recent weeks. Coalition actions and reported civilian casualtiesĭuring February, ISIS’s former extensive ‘caliphate’ was reduced to just one town in eastern Syria, Al Baghouz. Up to 56 civilians were claimed killed in contested events implicating both the Assad government and Russia in February – compared to a maximum of 18 such deaths in January. While the majority of sources attributed the civilian harm to regime artillery, there were also allegations against Russia. ![]() As Assad’s forces stepped up their campaign against rebel forces in north-west Syria, Airwars tracked six reported casualty events in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib. The month saw several alarming large-scale casualty incidents in the town of Baghouz – the last territorial holdout in Syria for so-called Islamic State (ISIS) – meaning that the likely death toll from Coalition actions in February rose by 27% on the previous month.Īlarmingly, the February also saw a tripling in claimed deaths from alleged Russian and/ or Syrian government actions on January’s estimates. During February, civilian harm claims against the US-led Coalition in Syria continued to be a major problem. ![]()
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