Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI849

Incident date

September 18, 2017

Location

القائم, Al Qaim, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

34.3957715, 40.9943684 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Civilian casualties were reported following air raids and/or artillery strikes on the district of Qaim, in the west of Anbar province.

Yaqin first reported US occupation heavy artillery shelling on areas of the Anbar, coinciding with the continued displacement of families in the absence of food and medicine. A second Yaqin report alleged civilian casualties and attributed blame to an aerial bombardment of aircraft military-government on residential parts of Qaim.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident only mention the district of Al Qaim (قضاء القائم), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.3957715, 40.9943684. 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 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al Qaiem, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 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 17th – 18th the Coalition reported “Near Al Qaim, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a VBIED factory and an ISIS-held building.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]