Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI537

Incident date

March 13, 2017

Location

الموصل الجديدة, Mosul, Mosul al-Jadid / New Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.32944, 43.095 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 1m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Relatives, local residents and press sources said up to 29 people from two families were killed after Coalition airstrikes struck their houses in the New Mosul neighborhood of West Mosul. The Coalition later conceded causing 27 deaths in the event.

According to Al Jazeera Iraq, 29 civilians, mostly children and women, were killed and many others were injured due to airstrikes and artillery shelling on the Monday evening. Other sources placed the event at 4pm to 5pm the following day.

Ahmad Al Jomaily reported on Facebook that “Ahmad Al-Abdullah al-Jumaili, his wife and his son Bashar al-Jumaili were killed” and other family members were missing.

Salih Alluhaiby also reported several victims, however without mentioning the names: “It moved to the mercy of God the compassionate, my sister and her daughter and her family and the family’s nephew after the bombing of Coalition aircraft in the New Mosul.”

Om Esraa posted a graphic video on Facebook and said: “Hours ago I communicated with parties in search of something to get us to the family of a disaster under the rubble in the New Mosul [neighbourhood], whose house was bombed the day before yesterday at ten in the morning (…)”.

The Los Angeles Times later reported the following: “Ihab Adnan was finishing removing 27 of his relatives who had been killed in his grandfather’s house in an airstrike on March 14 — a date outside the time frame the U.S.-led coalition is investigating. “Daesh was not letting us go out,” said Ihab Adnan, 35, a laborer, using a common term for Islamic State as he picked his way through the remains of his uncle’s house next door. Adnan pointed to a photo in the ruins of his 13-year-old cousin, Ali Ramadan, whose body was now zipped in a body bag. He said a series of airstrikes began at just after 5 p.m., and “everything was exploding.”

He could hear his relatives screaming next door. Adnan was screaming, too. He emerged to discover several families had been buried in their collapsed houses: 18 in his uncle’s house, 72 in a nearby home, 130 in another. He could hear some of the injured crying. “We were running and taking people out” of the ruins, Adnan said.”

Buzzfeed field investigators also placed the event on March 14th, providing the following incident report to Airwars:

“GPS Coordinates: 36.329583, 43.095028
Date and approximate time: March 14 at around 4pm
Casualties: 26 civilians killed, including nine family members of Yusuf Yahya Abed. This was one house that had been split into two. This was a kinetic strike, launched as part of an ISF assault into the neighborhood.
Comments: This is down the street from Site A. Residents couldn’t say for sure was the target could have been.”

In its September 2017 monthly casualty report, the Coalition accepted responsibility: “March 14, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via media report: During a strike on ISIS fighters engaging partner forces from a fighting position, it was assessed that 27 civilians in an adjacent structure were unintentionally killed.”

Officials also supplied coordinates to Airwars, which exactly matched those of the al Jadida event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Ahmad Al-Abdullah al-Jumaili
Adult male Father killed
Wife of Ahmad Al-Abdullah al-Jumaili
Adult female Mother killed
Bashar al-Jumaili
Age unknown male Son killed

The victims were named as:

Ali Ramadan
13 years old male killed

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

  • The Military Grid Reference System coordinate (38SLF2901422174), accurate to 1 m, published by the US-led Coalition with their Credible assessment of the civilian harm incident.

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27 – 29
  • (2 children2 women2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of alleged Coalition airstrikes on New Mosul neighbourhood, which caused the death of two families (via Al Jazeera)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    Killed by strike blast
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    27
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF2901422174
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 1, 2019
  • March 14, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via media report: During a strike on ISIS fighters engaging partner forces from a fighting position, it was assessed that 27 civilians in an adjacent structure were unintentionally killed.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 12th-13th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units, an ISIS staging area and an ISIS sniper team; destroyed 16 fighting positions, five VBIEDs, four mortar systems, two rocket-propelled grenade systems, two supply caches, two VBIED factories, and a vehicle; damaged 22 supply routes; and suppressed 14 ISIS mortar teams, two ISIS tactical units, and an ISIS sniper team.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27 – 29
  • (2 children2 women2–3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]