Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI143

Incident date

November 19, 2015

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

At least ten civilians were reported killed and 13 or more injured, after a Coalition strike at 8.30am which targeted a Daesh IED facility also reportedly hit a next-door dairy factory in Mosul.

According to the local Nineveh Reporters’ Network, the attack “killed all elements of the organization [Daesh] who were inside the booby-trapping plant, but also damaged a large dairy building next door, killing approximately five civilian workers and injuring 13 others.”

The minimum death toll was later raised to ten, with one victim named as Yasir Nazir al-Tai Abu Mustafa, a 45-year old father. NRN later published an interview with a neighbour: “Yasir had four children, the eldest a student in the first year at intermediate school. Yasir was working as a taxi driver too, because of the bad economic situation and to protect his family from poverty and hunger… We have lost a dear friend and a good brother to us.

With claims that as many as 50 civilians were killed and injured, the event led to fresh calls for the Coalition to be more careful in its targeting of the city.

In a later statement to CBC News, Canadian Forces Major General Charles Lamarre said the strike had been reviewed and “did not reveal any information to suggest that civilians had been harmed or killed… The nearest structure to the strike was well outside of the explosive radius of the weapons used‎.”

However graphic video footage released by Islamic State showed not only the apparent destroyed IED facility but also a badly damaged adjacent building, including dead and injured persons.

See also CI143.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yasir Nazir al-Tai Abu Mustafa
45 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13–28
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of Canadian strike at Mosul November 19th which reportedly killed 10 civilians (via Nineveh Reporters Network)
  • Yasir Nazir al-Tai, a father of four reportedly killed in a Canadian strike (via NRN News)
  • Another image of the aftermath of the attack (via NRN)
  • Another image of the aftermath of the attack (via NRN)
  • Another image of the aftermath of the attack (via NRN)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition has confirmed targeting an IED facility in the city on November 19th 2015: “Near Mosul, one strike struck an ISIL weapons vehicle borne improvised explosive device manufacturing facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 13
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    13–28
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (14) [ collapse]