Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI304

Incident date

October 22, 2016

Location

بخديدا (Bakhdida), Qaraqosh, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.27093, 43.37758 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Coalition announced in December 2016 it was conducting an assessment of a possible civilian casualty event: Currently, three reports received in October are still being assessed… Oct. 22, 2016, near Qaraqosh and Hasana, Iraq.

On January 2nd 2017 a new Coalition report noted: No Coalition strikes were conducted on structures in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties. A senior Coalition official later told Airwars that the allegation had been “Based on Russian social media and Russian MinDef accusations.

However local reporting at the time said that Coalition airstrikes were conducted at Qaraqosh in support of ISF ground operations.

Given reported British actions in the area that day, Airwars flagged the incident to the UK’s MoD which said we can confirm that there was no UK involvement in the event. However given that RAF strikes were reported in Qaraqosh, Airwars has requested further clarification.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ 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 Qaraqosh and Hasana, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 2, 2017
  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on structures in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 22nd 2016, the Coalition reported at the time that “Near Kisik, one strike damaged an ISIL tunnel. Near Mosul, four strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units, 12 staging areas, six mortar systems, a rocket position and a heavy machine gun; destroyed 21 fighting positions, 10 mortar systems, eight vehicles, eight command and control nodes, seven ISIL-held buildings, five bunkers, four anti-aircraft guns, four artillery systems, three tunnels, three VBIEDs, two supply caches, two heavy machine guns, a VBIED facility and a front end loader; and damaged three VBIEDs, two tunnels, a fighting position, a repeater tower and a vehicle.”

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • 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, US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]