Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI168

Incident date

December 27, 2015

Location

حي المثنى, Mosul, al-Muthanna, al-Masaref, al-Tahrir, and al-Qadisiyah, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3738889, 43.1718063 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to single source the National Iraqi News Agency, 12 civilians died and 11 were “severely wounded” in Coalition airstrikes on the neighbourhoods of al-Muthanna, al-Masaref, al-Tahrir, and al-Qadisiyah, north of Mosul.

MNN cited Kurdish official Ghyath Surja as saying the Coalition had carried out a targeted strike on a vehicle at al-Muthanna, though did not mention casualties

In July 2017 the Coalition said it had classed the event as non credible, on grounds of limited evidence of civilian harm: “Dec. 27, 2015, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reported for December 26th-27th 2015 that “Near Mosul, seven strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 15 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL bunker, four ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL command control nodes, and cratered two ISIL roads, and denied ISIL access to terrain.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12
  • (3 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]