Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI546

Incident date

March 16, 2017

Location

الموصل: غرب/الجانب الأيمن, West Mosul, Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336843, 43.117979 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources said that at least 21 civilians were killed and 17 were injured, including women and children, because of airstrikes and artillery shelling in neighbourhoods of West Mosul.

Iraq News Center placed the death toll even higher: “Many surviving civilians [and] witnesses from the right side [of Mosul] confirmed that Coalition airstrikes targeted civilian houses and there were 20 civilians killed in one house and 11 in another and 3 in a fourth house. Large numbers of innocent civilians are the direct victims of Coalition airstrikes and mortar and artillery shelling by Iraqi forces ”

Al Jazeera – citing Islamic State – said 21 people had reportedly died: “For its part, Daesh said that 21 civilians – mostly children and women – were killed in when bombing targeted the western neighborhoods of Mosul.

The incident occured between 12:00 am and 8:00 am local time.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident only refer to “West Mosul”. The generic coordinate for West Mosul are: 36.336843, 43.117979

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 34
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–34
  • 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 (6) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 30, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 15th – 16th: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 fighting positions, four mortar systems, two ISIS-held buildings, two vehicles, a medium machine gun, an artillery system, and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged 17 supply routes and three ISIS-held buildings; and suppressed six ISIS mortar teams and three ISIS tactical units.”

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
    21 – 34
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–34
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]