Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI842

Incident date

September 10, 2017

Location

Huwaija, Kirkuk, Iraq

Geolocation

35.32633, 43.775024 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source reported the injuring of civilians following an alleged attack by the US-led Coalition on the district of Huwaija.

The source, Iraqi News, said the aerial bombardment by international coalition aircraft targeted residential neighbourhoods and that their sources confirm the injury of civilians. No additional details are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Huwaija (حویجة), south west of Karkook, for which the coordinates are: 35.326330, 43.775024. It’s unclear if this refers to a city or subdistrict. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further  

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • An image shows smoke rising from the scene of a reported Coalition strike on the district of Huwaija (via news ofiraq3)
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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al-Hawijah, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLE886099
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2018
  • 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 September 9th – 10th the Coalition reported “Near Al Huwayjah, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two command and control nodes, two weapons caches, a vehicle, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS-held building; Near Al Huwayjah, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]