Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI200

Incident date

March 9, 2016

Location

العصرية, Asriya, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.46345, 43.07301 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In a major mass casualty incident, 69 civilians were reported killed and 100 injured after alleged Coalition or possibly Iraq government aircraft allegedly struck the village of Asriyah. All of the victims were said to be from the Al Bojaber tribe.

According to al Rafidain and other sources, fifteen of those killed were said to be from the Al Jabri family, including the head of the household Matar Dayih Kattah Al Jabri. Only one member of the family reportedly survived, a baby named as Malak Juma Al Jabri.

Sheikh Zeidan Al Jabri, the chief sheikh of the Al Bijaber tribe, told Al Jazeera that his tribe members had stayed at their homes in Asriyah village during a nearby government offensive against Daesh. He claimed international Coalition and Iraqi forces had targeted them with airstrikes and killed dozens, mostly children and women.

There were claims that the Iraq Army initially prevented medical personnel from entering the town because it had been classed as a military operations area.

News of Iraq said the attack was the work of both the Coalition and the Iraq military.

The event inflamed local opinion, including the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq which blamed the US-led Coalition: “The United States is responsible for everything that happens in Iraq for crimes against humanity and violations of terrible human rights, which was and still is responsible for every drop of blood being shed on the land of Iraq.”

And local Sunni political leader Mahmoud al Daham called for legal action against the Coalition: “I ask for the formation of a team of volunteer lawyers to work in international courts to condemn this action, and to hold those responsible negligent according to international law and to demand compensation for the victims and the injured in this heinous crime.

Responding to a request for clarification about possible involvement given declared UK strikes in the Euphrates Valley that day, the MoD told Airwars that “after extensive research, we can confirm that there was no UK involvement” in the alleged event at Asiriya.

In their June 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.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Adult male (via AlAnbar Motny) killed
Child female (via AlAnbar Motny) injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    69
  • (10 children10 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    100
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A video contains an interview with the tribal leader of Abu-Jaber as he talks concerning dozens of civilians casualties occurred after an alleged coalition/Iraqi Gov airstrike on Asriya village north Anbar (via Al-Jazeera TV)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image shows the child (Malak Juma Al Jabri) who survived after an alleged airstrike by coalition/Iraq government aircraft in the village of Asriyah (via Fallujah Modal facebook account)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image shows dead bodies on the floor after the alleged airstrike by coalition/Iraqi government.

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLC209043
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 24, 2020
  • March 9, 2016, in Asriya, 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. 2913/CI200 38SLC209043

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 9th-10th 2016 the Coalition reported that “Near Ramadi, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL heavy machine guns, two ISIL supply caches, 11 ISIL improvised explosive devices (IED), three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL VBIED, and denied ISIL access to terrain.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    69
  • (10 children10 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    100
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (15) [ collapse]