Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI430

Incident date

January 17, 2017

Location

الرشيدية, Mosul, Al-Rashidiyah, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.4125106, 43.0977345 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A local source said that many civilians were killed or injured by Coalition airstrikes on Rashidiyah neighborhood in the north east of Mosul.

Iraqi Turkmen Front Mosul reported that their bodies were still under the rubble. It made appeal to the international Coalition “not to target civilians through inaccurate air raids or indiscriminate shelling of the Turkmen cities” that are under ISIL control.

Another source, Diyalafromheart, reported on Facebook about “victims in the East of Mosul”. However, it blamed the Iraqi Air Force for the bombing.

In its May 2017 casualty report, the Coalition said it had assessed the incident as Non Credible based on a lack of available information: “Jan. 17, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via social media 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.”

The Coalition confirmed to Airwars that this assessment related to the al Rashidiyah allegation. We continue to grade this as a Contested event.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • 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
    a:1:{i:0;s:20:"no_coalition_strikes";}
  • 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 16th-17th the Coalition publicly noted: “Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed a command and control node, aheavy machine gun, a tactical vehicle, 14 fighting positions, two vehicles, a mortar, an ISIL-held building, a VBIED, and an ISIL weapons factory; suppressed an ISIL mortar team and artillery crew; and damaged 32 supply routes and an ISIL defensive berm.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]