2017 al-Jinah airstrike

2017 al-Jinah airstrike
Part of the Syrian Civil War and the American-led intervention in Syria
Location36°06′28″N 36°47′13″E / 36.1079°N 36.7870°E / 36.1079; 36.7870[1]
Date16 March 2017
Executed byUnited States United States[2]
Casualties38–49[3][4][5] killed
26–100+[3][6] injured
Al-Jinah is located in Syria
Al-Jinah
Al-Jinah

On 16 March 2017, an airstrike by the United States Armed Forces killed up to 49 people in the rebel-held village of al-Jinah near Aleppo, Syria.[7] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and local officials reported that the building struck was a mosque filled with worshipers.[8][9] Rami Abdel Rahman, head of SOHR, said the structure was a mosque which held over 300 people[4] at the time of the strike.[10] In May 2017, a US Central Command investigation determined that the building was indeed part of a mosque-complex.[11] The US military had originally said the structure bombed was an al-Qaeda meeting place that was not a mosque itself but was next to a mosque, which was undamaged.[2] In September 2017, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria concluded that "United States forces failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law."[3] The UN commission's findings did not support the U.S. claim that an al-Qaeda meeting was taking place.[3] Investigations by Human Rights Watch and Forensic Architecture also did not find any evidence of an al-Qaeda meeting.[12][13]

  1. ^ al-Jinah mosque. Forensic Architecture
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference mosque was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference ABC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Bethan, McKernan (17 March 2017). "US 'bombed mosque during evening prayers, killing 46 people'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Pentagon denies striking mosque in Syria, says it killed al Qaeda militants". Reuters. 17 March 2017.
  6. ^ Staff and agencies (17 March 2017). "US admits Syria airstrike that killed 46 but denies targeting mosque". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  7. ^ Staff writers (17 March 2017). "Air strike on mosque near Aleppo in Syria kills 42: monitor". Reuters. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  8. ^ Hennigan, W. J. (17 March 2017). "U.S. military denies airstrike hit mosque in Syria, following reports of dozens killed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference aljazeera was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Staff writers. "Air raid on mosque near Aleppo 'kills dozens'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  11. ^ Starr, Barbara (4 May 2017). "Pentagon investigation: US hit mosque complex". CNN. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference hrw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Forensic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).