Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI284

Incident date

September 8, 2016

Location

تل عفر, Tall Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.375659, 42.451536 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and seven civilians including women and children died – and five were injured – in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the Tel Al Shaeer and Aski Mosul areas in Tal Afar, west of Mosul, according to local sources.

Yaqein reported that the Coalition carried out a strike that “targeted the villages of Tel Al Shaeer and Aski Mosul“. The source added that “the shelling, which lasted more than an hour, killed two people and wounded five others, including women and children who were injured.”

A Tweet by Sonawa1 referred to the deaths of two children following the bombing of Tal Afar.

Aleyatiraq said that women and children “were among the seven victims killed by the bombing of coalition warplanes on the villages of Tel Al Shaeer and Aki Mosul, satellite towns of Tal Afar west of Mosul.

Given reported British incidents in the area that day, Airwars flagged the incident to the UK’s MoD which said ” we can confirm that there was no UK involvement” in the event. We have asked for additional clarification.

In their August 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.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 7
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

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
    38SKF973430
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 22, 2020
  • Sept. 8, 2016, in Aski Mosul, 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. 3037/CI284 38SKF973430

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For September 8th-9th, the Coalition reported that “near Tallafar, one strike destroyed an VBIED factory.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 7
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]