Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI395

Incident date

January 6, 2017

Location

حي الزراعي, Mosul, Agricultural, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3559188, 43.1460571 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources and relatives of victims said that more than 20 civilians from three families were killed, including children and women, after Coalition airstrikes targeted their houses in front of Saddam mosque at the entrance of Farms district, north of Mosul.

Mosul Ateka reported that “18 people were killed in the Farms district after three houses were bombed in that area.” In comments below the post it was said that Al Haj Riad and his wife and his son Mahfouz House Haj Hamou were among the victims, which was reportedly carried out by the Coalition. In a later post by Mosul Ateka, including photos, Haj Riad Adnan and his wife and his son Imran Riad Adnan were also reported as killed in the strikes.

Nineveh Media Center said that “a medical source confirms the deaths of more than two dozen people as a result of aerial bombardment [which] targeted the wrong homes of unarmed civilians in the agricultural district of the northern city of Mosul.” Ajel Al Mosul (Facebook) also reported the incident, and spoke of 20 civilians killed in the raids in the farms neighbourhood. Sunni Muslim (Facebook) posted a video showing “The effects of the international coalition aircraft bombed the Farms district in the left side of the city of Mosul.”

In a later investigation into the event, AFP interviewed eyewitness Abdulrahman Riyadh who said tyhe strike came at dawn on January 6th: ““Everything collapsed around me. I pushed the debris around me, I got up and I asked my brother if he was still alive. He was wounded in the leg. I told him to come into my bed and I started looking for my little brother, my father and my mother. I screamed but nobody answered.”

On March 4th the Coalition announced that it was assessing the event: “Currently, 19 reports of civilian casualties are still being assessed… Jan. 6, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via social media report.” An official confirmed to Airwars that this was a reference to the al Zirai allegation.

On April 30th the Coalition flagged the event as ‘not credible’ noting: “Jan. 6, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via social media report: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in this geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.”

Based on available evidence Airwars continues to assess this event as fair.

A UN report on the protection of civilians in context of Nineveh operations and the retaking of Mosul stated: ‘In the morning of 6 January, airstrikes targeting an ISIL gathering in the Ziraie neighbourhood of central Mosul killed 17 civilians, including seven women and four children, and wounded 11 others, including four women and two children.’

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Al Haj Riad
Adult male killed
Mahfouz House Haj Hamou
Age unknown male Son of Al Haj Riad killed
Imran Riad Adnan
Child male Son of Al Haj Riad killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17 – 20
  • (2–4 children2–7 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • A photo of Imran Riad Adnan, killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes in Mosul on January 4th 2017 (via Mosul Ateka)
  • Haj Riad Adnan (via Mosul Ateka)
  • Another image of Imran Riad Adnan (via Mosul Ateka)
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
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF2982730681
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 30, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in this geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 5th-6th, the Coalition noted: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed three ISIL-held buildings, three supply caches, two mortar systems, a fighting position, and a VBIED; damaged 24 supply routes; and suppressed two mortar teams.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17 – 20
  • (2–4 children2–7 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    11
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]