Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI521

Incident date

March 8, 2017

Location

17 تموز, Mosul, July 17th, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3667014, 43.0854607 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights, reported that 11 civilians from one family died in a Coalition airstrike on Tammuz 17.

Iraqi military intelligence issued a statement saying the Coalition had targeted senior ISIL leaders in the area: “The US-led coalition led by the United States killed three senior leaders of the Islamic State in an air strike on the Tammuz neighborhood of West Mosul, the military intelligence department said in a statement Thursday night. According to the statement, “aircraft of the International Alliance carried out an air strike targeting the headquarters of Daash, in the neighborhood of Tammuz, killing senior leaders of the organization.

It named the leaders as Abu Aisha (Tajik nationality), one of the most prominent experts in vehicle IEDs; a Russian named as Abu Muhammad al-Rossi, an aircraft or drone engineer; and Abu Omar, a French citizen of Tunisian origin.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Translation: "The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights: 11 civilians from one family were killed by the bombing of coalition aircraft in the neighborhood of July 17."
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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near July 17th neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF282263
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 29, 2018
  • After a review of available information and the strike video, it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 7th-March 8th the Coalition stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed nine fighting positions, four mortar systems, three VBIEDs, two VBIED factories, two vehicles, a supply cache, a UAV launch site, a medium machine gun, an ISIS-held building, a watercraft, and a command and control node; damaged 11 supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed two ISIS tactical units and a sniper team.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]