Geolocation
Airwars assessment
The marketplace in Ar Rutbah was hit in an alleged Coalition airstrike according to reports, killing up to five people and injuring eight more.
An adult male and a young male child were pictured among the dead.
Iraqi Revolution for example reported that “heavy shelling targeted Rutba focused on the market and fuel station and bread ovens; and there are dozens of dead and wounded civilians.”
Photographs published on local sites showed some of the strikes and people fleeing; and a number of destroyed buildings and bodies, some with severed limbs.
In its monthly civilian casualty report for October 2019 – published on December 5th of the same year – the US-led Coalition assessed this event as ‘non credible’, noting: “September 14, 2015, in Ar Rutbah, Iraq, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2819/CI104 37SFS203560”.
The Coalition published a location for the assessment identifying to within 100 metres the area where it had focused its review.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the city of Ar Rutbah (الرطبة), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.036997, 40.284076. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (9) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]
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Reported Coalition strike on Ar Rutbah, Sept 14 2015 (via Rutbah News)
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Child allegedly injured in the attack and his lost body parts (via Iraqi Revolution) -
Aftermath of the strike (via Iraqi Revolution)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Iraqi Revolution)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Iraqi Revolution)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Iraqi Revolution)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Iraqi Revolution)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Rutbah News)
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Aftermath of the strike (via Rutbah News)
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
Man allegedly killed in the strike (via Rutbah News)
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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September 14, 2015, in Ar Rutbah, Iraq, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2819/CI104 37SFS203560
Original strike reports
No Coalition strikes were publicly confirmed in the direct vicinity for September 14th-15th 2015, though it was noted that “Near Ramadi, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL house-borne IED, an ISIL VBIED, five ISIL buildings, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL motorcycle.”