Incident Code

CI129

Location

تل كيف‎, Tel Kepe (Tel Kayf), Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.4908349, 43.1204796
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: I104a)

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq reported that seven people died when a minbus was struck in an airstrike near Mosul.

According to UNAMI, “At 10h30 a.m. on 20 October, seven civilians were killed – including three women and two children – and one was seriously wounded when the minibus in which they were travelling was hit by an airstrike. The victims were all members of one family and were travelling from al-Qawsiyat village in Wana sub-district, Tal Kaif district, to Mosul.

Local media reported the incident at the time as taking place on October 19th. Most blamed the deaths on the Coalition.

In their January 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Civilians reported killed
6–7
2 Children, 3 Women
Civilians reported injured
1

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Tel Kepe (Tel Kayf) (تل كيف‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.4908349, 43.1204796. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
MGRS coordinate
38SLF316400
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
The Coalition reported the following airstrike in Nineveh province for October 19th-20th: “Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.“
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2020-01-03
Original Source
October 19, 2015, in Tel Kepe, 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. 2845/CI129 38SLF316400
Unknown Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Unknown
Unknown position on incident
Not yet assessed