Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI221

Incident date

April 7, 2016

Location

حاج علي, Haj Ali, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Up to 11 civilians were allegedly killed in a reported Coalition airstrike in the vicinity of Qayyarah.

According to the Iraqi Revolution site, the 11 died at Haj Ali, also the scene of a major incident the previous day. However, no additional information is presently known.

Responding to a request for clarification about possible involvement given declared the UK strikes near Qayyarah that day, the MoD told Airwars: “We cannot make any definitive assessment of possible UK presence from the evidence you have provided, but I can confirm that there was no indication of any civilian casualties in our own detailed assessments of the impact of each of our strikes over the period concerned.”

In the first of their March 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

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
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLE475563
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 25, 2020
  • April 7, 2016, in Haj Ali, Iraq, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2937/CI221 38SLE475563

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reports that for April 7th-8th 2016 “Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions.”

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]