A total of 35 people people from an extended family were killed, including 14 children, 9 women and two imams, when a home and street were bombed in the Shifa neighbourhood of Mosul. Sources said that the family were sheltering in the basement of the house.

Initial claims had placed the toll at 50, while the US-led Coalition estimated that 11 civilians were killed in the attack. Australia later explicitly accepted responsibility for part of the event – conceding between 6 and 18 deaths. Fifteen months later in May 2020, the United States accepted responsibility for a further 11 deaths in the event.

Relatives informed Airwars and others that in fact 35 named people died, from eight closely related families. There was only one survivor.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF’s) investigation was based on estimates of population density, not any on-the-ground research, and no contact was made with the affected family. However within hours of the official announcement of civilian harm, a surviving member of the family told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the number of civilians killed was 35, including his brother, sister and other family members.

“My brother has lost all of his family. The number of the family members who died are 35,” said Sheikh Ayman el Saffar. Sheikh Ayman said his brother’s property was also used as a religious community centre.

“The house was hit, they lost money and a religious community centre. He had this religious community centre at that time he used it as his private house. There were no activities at the community centre at the time.”

According to the international alliance, there were strikes by two separate Coalition allies in the near vicinity on the day – each of which killed civilians. Australia accepted responsibility on January 31st 2019 for between 6 and 18 deaths in one of the strikes during the incident, while on the same day the Coalition’s civilian casualty assessment team declared a minimum of 11 deaths. This was later revealed to have been a separate US action. The Coalition provided Airwars with the location of this incident, accurate to within a 100 metre box.

Ateka Facebook page said on the day of the incident that Sheikh Mohammed Ghanim Al-Saffar – who was an Imam and preacher at the Sheikh Fathi Mosque in Mosul – died after aircraft targeted a sniper standing on the roof and bombed his house. The page said that his body was still under the rubble, together with his family.

Other outlets, including Yaqein and MNN, reported that 50 people in total were under the rubble of the house and presumed dead.

However Sawefa Ateka later reported that some were rescued: “The martyrdom of Madh Muhammad al-Saffar and the rescue of the family of Sheikh Ahmad al-Saffar and the other families who were exposed to their house in Al Shifa neighbourhood for aerial bombing Thank you to the rescue teams and the security forces there.”

Another entry listed the following victims: “The family of Mullah Youssef mourns the family of Al-Saffar by the martyr Sheikh Mohammed Ghanim Al-Saffar in front of the preacher of the Sheikh Fathi Mosque and his family and Sheikh Ahmed Ghanim Al-Saffar Imam and preacher of the Sheikh Muhsin Mosque and his family; and their brother Ammar Ghanem Al-Saffar and his family; and their cousin and their relative Raed Abdul Salam Al-Saffar and many people, after the fall of a missile from the plane on their house, which led to the fall of the house on them I am God and I return to him.”

Sheikh Mohammed Ghanim Al-Saffar was described by Qoraish as “one of ISIS’s most formidable enemies”.

@sonawa1 tweeted that civilians were “trapped under the rubble of the house of Abdul Ghani Halawaji”. It is likely that Abdul Ghani Halawaji is a misspell – with Halawaji possibly referring to the village the family originally came from – rather than the Mosul neighbourhoood from which they now take their name.

Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, spoke about the event following the ADF’s concession: “It is not clear what precisely went on. But I know our Defence force people will always be doing everything they can to ensure casualties are avoided.” The PM also described the event as “a terrible incident”, with the deaths of civilians “difficult and tragic.”

Airwars conducted an extensive interview with Engineer Amjad al Saffar, a family elder, in February 2019, in which the names of all victims were handed over.

In May 2020 in its annual civilian harm report to Congress, the Pentagon confirmed that US forces had been responsible for at least 11 deaths in this event. Asked to comment from Mosul on the Pentagon’s recent admission that its aircraft too had played a role in the mass casualty event, Engineer Amjad told Airwars: “As a well known and respected Mosul family, we feel both very sad and disappointed to learn of the US’s confession – three years after our catastrophe.- of their own role in an airstrike which killed so many. Along with Australia we hold the US fully responsible for our heavy loss of 35 family members, and demand both an apology and financial compensation.”

The incident occured at 10:00 am local time.

A newly married husband and wife were killed and two young children injured in an airstrike on al Islah al Zirae in West Mosul on May 3rd. The event was later confirmed to be an Australian action.

Amnesty International provided the following field report to Airwars citing an eyewitness: “We were getting dressed to leave and my brother’s family were still getting dressed and putting jackets on the children. I set off with my wife and children and we turned the corner and heard an air strike. I ran back and the house had caved in. My brother died. My sister-in-law (wife of another brother) also died. There were no Daesh around otherwise how could I have just walked out of my house.

Brother: [Name anonymised], aged 27 – dead

Sister in law, newly married 20 days ago: [Name anonymised], aged 20 – dead

Young nephew: [Name anonymised], aged 1.5 years – injured

Young niece: [Name anonymised], aged 2 years – injured

Those who come to apparently liberate us should know Daesh hide between us. They force us to hide them. How can the instruction tell us to stay away from them?”

On March 29th, 2018, Australia admitted to killing the two civilians and two young children. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) published information about the event in a civilian casualty report: “On 3 May 2017, one Australian aircraft conducted an airstrike in support of Iraqi Security Forces who were under direct fire from enemy fighters in West Mosul. Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were also engaged in the approval process. A low collateral, single precision-guided munition was released, striking the target and destroying a section of a building used by Daesh as a defensive fighting position. Based on a review of information now available, it is possible that civilian casualties may have occurred as a result of this strike. The personnel involved, using the information available to them, acted in compliance with the law of armed conflict and Australian rules of engagement.”

The ADF conducted “two thorough investigations” that concluded that civilian casualties were likely killed by an RAAF Super Hornet firing a GPS-guided bomb “hitting the second storey, collapsing the defensive fighting position inside the building,” said deputy chief of joint operations, Major General Greg Bilton.

At the time, Amnesty could not narrow down the precise date of the incident, stating that it likely had taken place between May 1st and May 3rd. However, in its March 28th civilian casualty report, the Coalition stated that on “May 3, 2017 near Islah al Zirai, […] The Coalition conducted a strike to destroy an ISIS fighting position. During the strike it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally killed and two civilians were injured.”

Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne stated that the strike was called in “because the Iraqi security forces were under direct sniper attack from the building, and the sniper was causing injuries”. However, the witness interviewed by Amnesty had stated that “there were no Daesh around, otherwise how could I have just walked out of my house?”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, the Coalition confirmed the death of a civilian in an incident near Mosul in June 2017.

Their September 2017 civilian casualty report noted: “During a strike on ISIS fighters engaging partner forces from a fighting position, it was assessed that one civilian, not observed near the target before the engagement, was unintentionally killed.” The Coalition provided Airwars with the location for this incident, accurate to within a one metre box. The location given placed the event in southern Zanjili.

Australia has conceded harm in this event. An ADF briefing issued on September 29th 2017 noted:

“On 7 June 2017, one Australian aircraft conducted an airstrike in support of Iraqi Security Forces who were under direct fire from enemy fighters in Mosul. Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were also involved in the Coalition approval process.

“A single precision guided munition was released, striking the target and destroying a section of a building used by Daesh as a defensive fighting position. During the post-airstrike review process, ADF personnel reported it was possible that a civilian
may have been present in the strike location. The personnel involved, using the information available to them, acted in compliance with the laws of armed conflict and Australian rules of engagement.”

It additionally noted: “The second incident occurred on 7 June 2017 in West Mosul. West Mosul was an incredibly dangerous area with Daesh taking over Iraqi civilian homes, booby trapping the buildings and using them as defensive fighting positions. The Iraqi Security Forces were conducting clearance operations which required removing Daesh fighters street by street.

“During the operation to re-take West Mosul, Iraqi Security Forces were regularly engaged by Daesh fighters using small arms, heavy machine guns, mortars and rocket propelled grenade launchers. On the 07 June, Australian F/A-18 aircraft supported Iraqi Security Forces who were under direct fire from Daesh fighters using small arms. A thorough assessment of the target, a residential building that was occupied by Daesh fighters, was conducted to ensure all feasible precautions were taken to minimise harm to civilians, and ISF operating in the area, and to reduce potential damage to property.
A strike was conducted on the Daesh fighting position with one precision guided, low collateral, munition.

“No civilians were observed in the area prior to the strike, however after the routine post-strike review and analysis process, ADF personnel assessed that it was possible that civilians may have been present in the location of the strike when people were observed to leave the rear of the target building. In accordance with our own processes, the ADF personnel reported the incident to the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) for further assessment including a thorough legal review.
Consistent with our normal procedures, ADF personnel were involved in the Coalition strike approval process for this mission.

“Based on the information available, OIR assessed that it was more likely than not a civilian was seriously injured or killed as a result of the strike against Daesh fighters on 7 June, however the report also noted that all feasible precautions were taken to prevent civilian casualties prior to the strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.