Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI167

Incident date

December 25, 2015

Location

الفلوجة‎, Fallujah, General hospital, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.353889, 43.7925 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Fallujah’s General Hospital was cited as reporting that seven people were killed – including five children and one woman – following an alleged Coalition airstrike. Three women and a child were also said to have been injured.

However, the Iraqi Spring Media Center did not attribute the incident to any party. And artillery sheling of the city by Iraq Army forces was also reported.

In its July 2017 report the Coalition said it had classed the event as non credible on grounds of limited information: “Dec. 25, 2015, near Fallujah, Iraq, via Airwars report: The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (5 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]

CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Fallujah, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017
  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reported that for December 25th-26th 2015: “Near Fallujah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL tunnels, two ISIL improvised explosive device (IED) factories, and wounded an ISIL fighter.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (5 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]