Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI036

Incident date

February 3, 2015

Location

الموصل‎, Kisik Junction, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34585235, 43.09857692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An internal post-strike review for CENTCOM of full-motion video revealed a “possible child entering a targeted bunker and then disappearing out of the field of view (FOV) approximately 19 minutes before Strike.”

The dynamic strike, conducted by a French Mirage 2000 using a Bu-49 bomb, killed an estimated five enemy fighters.

Claims that a child had died were deemed “not credible” by military intelligence officers, who decided “that individuals struck were fighters.“

Airwars researchers could find no reference to a child fatality for this date, although reports did note an intensification of Coalition strikes on the city.

In July 2017 the Coalition said that based on available evidence, it had classed the event as non credible. It has also referenced Airwars not having found any other reporting of civilian casualties other than the internal CENTCOM document: “Feb. 3, 2015, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 1, 2015
  • Jul 7, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

  • CFACC observed a possible child entering a targeted bunker and then disappearing out of the field of view approximately 19 min before the strike. CJTF-OIR conducted a dynamic strike on the targeted bunker by Rage 43 (M-2000 FRA) using BU-49 resulting in 5 EKIA. Not credible. INT reflections that individuals struck were fighters

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]