Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI306

Incident date

October 24, 2016

Location

تل كيف‎, Tel Kepe (Tel Kayf), Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.4908349, 43.1204796 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eight members of the same family were killed followed an alleged Coalition strikes, according to local sources.

Multiple local outlets reported that 8 civilians – all members of the same family – were killed on October 24th in Tel Kepe, a town less than 15km north of Mosul. Yagen identified the father of the family and said he was killed along with his seven children. The report added that Al Hadidi’s wife was in critical condition and is now in recovery. While Yagen – like multiple other sources, including Almadenah News and the Iraqi Spring Media Center – blamed the Coalition, it also noted that the government of Iraq has also been involved in aerial operations to back forces attempting to retake Mosul.

A distressing video posted on Youtube and watermarked with an ISIS-linked logo shows a crumbled building and at least one body lying on the floor covered.

Local blogger Zyaad Alsenjary claimed the deaths were the result of both air and artillery strikes.

Given reported British actions 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.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed
Age unknown Via Yagen killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 9
  • (7 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • An image reveals the destruction that followed an alleged coalition airstrike in Tel Kepe, Mosul on October 24th.
  • The Russian MoD issued satellite images on November 4th which it said showed damage from the Coalition strike
  • An image shows a child who was injured followed indiscriminate shelling in the northern city of Mosul on October 24th (Via Abdelhamid Tarek)
  • An image shows a child who was injured followed shelling in the northern city of Mosul on October 24th (Via Abdelhamid Tarek)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image shows a child killed followed indiscriminate shelling in the northern city of Mosul on October 24th (Via Abdelhamid Tarek)
  • An image shows a child who was injured followed indiscriminate shelling in the northern city of Mosul on October 24th (Via Abdelhamid Tarek)
CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

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.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Tel Kepe, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 30, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 23rd-24th 2016, the Coalition reported “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units, two rocket systems, two anti-aircraft artillery systems and two staging areas; destroyed 19 fighting positions, 17 vehicles, 10 heavy machine guns, nine mortar systems, eight command and control nodes, six repeater towers, and four tunnels; and damaged four fighting positions, two vehicles, a mortar system, and a tunnel.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 9
  • (7 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]