Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI388

Incident date

January 3, 2017

Location

دوميز, Mosul, Domiz, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.308278, 43.2038212 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five civilians were killed and four injured in the Domiz neighbourhood of Mosul, according to local media.

A local source told Shafaaq news that an “unidentified warplane” opened fire from its on-board machine gun in the neighbourhood in south-east Mosul.

The story was also reported by Nineveh Media Center, confirming the death of five and the injury of four civilians. The news agency did not identify the culprit.

A UN report on the protection of civilians in context of Nineveh operations and the retaking of Mosul did not refer to a machine gun. However, the report did make mention of an airstrike on the same location and date: “In the afternoon of 3 January 2017, an airstrike targeting a gathering of ISIL members reportedly killed five civilians and wounded four others, including one woman, in the Domiz neighbourhood of southeastern Mosul.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (3) [ 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

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 2nd-3rd publicly stated: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed three buildings, a heavy machine gun, two mortars, a piece of engineering equipment, a VBIED, and a front-end loader; damaged 17 supply routes; and suppressed four mortar teams.”

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (3) [ collapse]