Geolocation
Airwars assessment
An alleged Coalition strike on two Daesh positions in western Mosul also reportedly led to an unspecified number of civilian casualties.
According to NRN News, vehicles used by Daesh to transport oil were destroyed in a 1pm strike, killing about 15 militants. But the attack also destroyed the ‘Cairo’ gas station, which in turn damaged a number of civilian homes nearby.
In a second alleged incident, it was reported that a house was targeted in northern Mosul killing 20 Daesh members. But according to NRN, “the house is located in a residential area and is surrounded by many other homes, which suffered significant physical damage. Civilians were also killed and injured.”
In July 2017 the Coalition said it had classed the event as non credible, on grounds of no strikes in the vicinity. “Dec. 29, 2015, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report: After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.”
Given the specific reported locations for casualties, Airwars has requested additional information from the Coalition.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (6) [ collapse]
Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.
The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.
Original strike reports
The Coalition reported that on December 29th-30th 2015, “Near Mosul, nine strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL assembly area, an ISIL bed down location, 20 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles, and an ISIL tunnel.”