Incident Code

CI131a

Location

Qayyarah City Hall, Qayyarah City Hall area, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

35.78904, 43.28928
Accuracy: Within 100m (via Coalition)
Sections

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

More than four years after the event, the Coalition finally conceded the death of a civilian during an October 2015 airstrike on Qayarrah.

According to a field investigation conducted by reporters Azmat Khan and Anand Gopal for the New York Times Magazine, one civilian was killed by a Coalition airstrike on Qayyarah in this incident.

According to their reporting, the following occurred: “On or near 10/30/2015, an airstrike on Qayyarah City Hall, which had been overtaken by ISIS, resulted in the death of civilian Abdullah Khudr Ali, a retired military officer, who’d been nearby, and was struck in the head by shrapnel.”

In its October 2019 civilian casualty assessment report, the Coalition accepted responsibility for the death, noting: “October 30, 2015, in Qayyarah, Iraq, via New York Times report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of the strike. Case # 2349 Location: 38SLE454619”.

Victims

Invidivuals

Abdullah Khudr Ali
Adult male Retired military officer killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Strike Status
Declared strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
1
1 Man

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Known belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Credible / Substantiated
Given reason for civilian harm
No reason given
Civilian deaths conceded
1
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
in Qayyarah, Iraq
Location accuracy
100 m
MGRS coordinate
38SLE454619
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
Iraq Near Al Qaim, one strike struck an ISIL logistical facility. Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit. Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL fighting position. Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL staging area. Near Ramadi, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL recoilless rifle, an ISIL heavy machine gun, two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL weapons cache, three command and control nodes, and denied ISIL access to terrain. Near Sinjar, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL bunkers. Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and wounded an ISIL fighter. Near Tal Afar, one strike [Canadian] destroyed an ISIL checkpoint and wounded two ISIL fighters. Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2019-12-05
Original Source ↗
October 30, 2015, in Qayyarah, Iraq, via New York Times report. Coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike against a Daesh facility. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed as a result of the strike. Case # 2349 Location: 38SLE454619

Sources (3)

New York Times Magazine - The Uncounted ↗

English

Coalition civilian casualty report ↗

English