Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI205

Incident date

March 23, 2016

Location

Hajj Ali, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

35.734251, 43.3181477 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Coalition announced on April 30th 2017 that it had concluded an assessment on an NGO’s claims of civilian harm “near Hajj Ali, Iraq”. It is unknown to Airwars which NGO it is referred to. According to the Coalition report, “1. March 23, 2016, near Hajj Ali, Iraq, via NGO report: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was almost 4 km away.”

This might be related to local tribe and Iraq war media sources reporting that Iraqi airstrikes targeted Haj Ali village and several locations in Qayyarra at the beginning of its liberation operation, which reportedly caused many civilian victims.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Hajj Ali, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 30, 2017
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was almost 4 km away.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 22nd-23rd 2016, the Coalition reports that “Near Mosul, three strikes [1 French] struck an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]