Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI867

Incident date

October 10, 2017

Location

Rawah, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

34.473919, 41.915991 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A number of sources reported that civilians were killed or injured following a coalition or Iraqi forces strike which targeted several areas in Rawa, west of Anbar province.

Yaqein reported heavy bombardments on Rawa by the alleged Coalition aircraft, resulting in civilian casualties and injured as well as substantial damage to homes and vehicles, along with ISIS forces. It noted that international airstrikes resulted in the killing of 10 terrorists and the destruction of 7 vehicles and a number of houses in Rawa, west of Al-Anbar, the military information cell said in a statement on Tuesday.

However, in a later report, the news agency implied that artillery might have been responsible, noting heavy shelling by the international coalition. Similarly, a local report alleged Artillery bombing on Al Qaim city and Rawa in preparation for an offensive.

A local report named one of the civilians who killed in the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male Via Ahmed Abd Samed page on FB killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Rawa (راوة), for which the coordinates are: 34.473919, 41.915991. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • A picture of Anas Malik Salamah, killed following alleged Coalition or Iraq forces on Rawah, Anbar (Via Ahmed Abd Samed page on FB)
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 information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Rawah, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 9th – 10th the Coalition reported “Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an ISIS headquarters.”

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
    1 – 2
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]