Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI370

Incident date

December 12, 2016

Location

حي الفلاح, Mosul, al Falah, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.383778, 43.177611 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to survivors, eight civilians died in a reported 2 pm following an alleged Coalition strike on Hay al Falah.

Buzzfeed journalist Mike Giglio met with survivors in Mosul in early 2017. he provided this account to Airwars: Eight civilian relatives of Nawal Fathi Khala, born 1954, also known as Um Ghassan. Leg wounds to neighbour Khayradeen Abdur Razzaq. 69, a retired labourer. There are also four wounded survivors of the Khala family. This was a targeted strike before the Mosul offensive reached this neighbourhood. It appears to be a case of faulty intelligence. There were three buildings across the street that was in use by ISIS. ISIS militants occasionally sat on the curb in front of the civilian home using radios. The civilian home was hit, and the ISIS buildings were not touched.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

Eight relatives of Nawal Fathi Khala
killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF3654328058
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For December 11th-12th the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed five ISIL-held buildings, two VBIED facilities, three VBIEDs, six fighting positions, three mortar systems, a heavy machine gun, a weapons cache, two front-end loaders, two tactical vehicles, a tunnel, and two pieces of engineering equipment; damaged 15 supply routes; and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]