Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI072

Incident date

June 8, 2015

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, Zuhour and other neighbourhoods, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3789337, 43.1850243 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In January 2016, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq reported that it had learned of a major civilian casualty incident in Mosul on June 8th 2015, though had been unable either to verify the claim or attribute responsibility to any party:

On 8 June, local sources reported that an airstrike in Mosul, Ninewa, caused 33 civilian casualties. The report alleged that several residential neighbourhoods in al-Zuhour district were hit, killing 20 civilians, including seven children and nine women, and wounding 13 others, mostly women. The source claimed that there were no ISIL members in the affected neighbourhoods. UNAMI/OHCHR was unable to verify the status of all the casualties nor who was responsible for the airstrikes.”

In December 2018 the Coalition announced that it had classed the event as non-credible, noting: “June 8, 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 civilians were harmed in this strike.”

Erem News had reported at the time (June 24th) that “A security source said on Wednesday the killing of 23 Iraqis and wounded 21 others in the bombing of the international coalition aircraft on civilian houses in the city of Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad. The source said that the international coalition aircraft bombed civilian homes in the areas of Al Zehur and Tahrir, banks, Rifai and Hermat in Mosul, killing 23 civilians, including 10 women and eight children and injured 21 civilians, most of them older men and women and children.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention several neighbourhoods in Mosul, Nineveh: Al Zuhour (الزهور) (mentioned by multiple sources): 36.3789337, 43.1850243; Tahrir (التحرير) neighbourhood: 36.3895748, 43.2021904; Masarif (المصارف) neighbourhood: 36.3842544, 43.1767845; Rifai (الرفاعي) neighbourhood: 36.3558497, 43.0937862; and Hermat (الهرمات) neighbourhood: 36.319488 43.114521 (possible location)

  • Neighbourhoods of Al Zuhour (الزهور), Tahrir (التحرير), Masarif (المصارف) and Rifai (الرفاعي) in the city of Mosul

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20 – 23
  • (7–8 children9–10 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13–21
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (2) [ collapse]

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
  • Dec 30, 2018
  • June 8, 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 civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition reports carrying out a number of airstrikes in Mosul on June 7th-8th 2015: “Near Mosul, three airstrikes [1 Canadian] struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL staging area, destroying two ISIL vehicles.”

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20 – 23
  • (7–8 children9–10 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13–21
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (2) [ collapse]