Incident Code
CI833
Incident Date
21 August 2017
Location
تلعفر, Tal Afar, Nineveh, Iraq
Geolocation
36.375659,
42.451536
Accuracy: City
Geolocation
36.375659,
42.451536
Accuracy: City
Airwars Assessment
Last Updated: December 15, 2024
(Previous Incident Code: I629)
Local sources reported that more than 30 civilians were killed in an aerial bombardment on Tal Afar, west of Mosul, Nineveh.
A single source, Omara Al Halbusi, blamed the US-led Coalition for the attack, which he claimed destroyed houses and the civilians inside.
The other sources tracked by Airwars did not specify any particular faction as the culprit, referring to shelling, aerial bombardment and artillery.
Key Information
Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Civilians reported killed
30
Geolocation Notes
Reports of the incident mention the city of Tal Afar (تلعفر), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.375659, 42.451536. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Military Statements
U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
Insufficient information on the time and location
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
near Tal Afer, Iraq
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
For August 20th-21st the Coalition reported “Near Tal Afar, four strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed five rocket-propelled grenade systems, four tunnel entrances, four fighting positions, four VBIEDs, two tactical vehicles, two weapons caches, two supply caches, a command and control node, a medium machine gun, and an anti-tank weapon; damaged five supply routes; and suppressed 32 mortar systems.” It additionally reported that “On Aug. 20, near Tal Afar, Iraq, five strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, three staging areas, two IEDs, two pieces of ISIS oil equipment, a rocket-propelled grenade system, and a vehicle; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” And that “On Aug. 20, near Tal Afar, Iraq, one strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2018-06-28
Original Source ↗
The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility