Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI424

Incident date

January 14, 2017

Location

حي الضباط, Mosul, Dhubat / Officers, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3389125, 43.1544685 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that ‘hundreds of civilians’ were killed or injured due to Coalition airstrikes and shelling with artillery and missiles, which targeted the ‘Police and other neighborhoods’ in the East and North of Mosul.

News of Iraq said 17 civilians were killed in two separate incidents in the Dhubat (Police) district of Mosul. It noted that the Coalition was responsible for the raids, killing among others a “surgery and fractures [medical] specialist, in addition to the four members of his family”.

This medical specialist was later named by MNN and Mosul Ateka Facebook, who reported that Dr. Talal Mallah (a specialist in orthopedic surgery and traumatology, said Mosul Ateka) and his wife Dr. Suad Al Khashab, their young daughter and eight other relatives.

In another post, News of Iraq said that an officer of the former Iraqi army, Brigadier General Khalid Meteb Al Hayis Al Jarba was killed after “Iraqi government army aviation” bombed his house.

In its May 2017 casualty report, the Coalition classed the even as Non Credible on grounds of available information: “Jan. 14, 2017, near Mosul, via NGO report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient information available to determine if civilians were present or harmed in this strike.”

Airwars requested additional detail from the Coalition, which confirmed it had assessed an allegation approximately 1km from Dhubat. We continue to assess this as a Contested event.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Dr. Talal Mallah
Adult male Husband, specialist in orthopedic surgery and traumatology killed
Dr. Suad Al Khashab
Adult female Wife killed

The victims were named as:

Khalid Meteb Al Hayis Al Jarba
Adult male Brigadier General in the former Iraqi Army killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Khalid Meteb Al Hayis Al Jarba (via News of Iraq)
  • Dr. Talal Al Mallah (via Mosul Ateka)
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 Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 13th-14th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed four fighting positions, two heavy machine guns, two watercraft, an ISIL headquarters building, a VBIED; and damaged eight supply routes.”

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
    17
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]