Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI396

Incident date

January 6, 2017

Location

القائم, Al Qa'im, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

34.3957715, 40.9943684 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to eighteen people were killed and 24 injured – mostly women and children – in government and Coalition airstrikes, in Al Qaim, Anbar province.

Yaqein reported the incident and added – quoting local sources – that “the raids focused on the areas of Karabila and Saada east of the city, and resulted in the complete destruction of four houses and damaged the homes and property of civilians.” Yaqein furthermore said that “it is noteworthy that the cities of Anbar province are exposed daily to a retaliatory bombing by government and international [forces] causing the killing of many innocent civilians and the destruction of their homes.”

News of Iraq (Facebook) also noted the incident and blamed the Coalition for the raids. Euphrates Post put the death toll at 18, but did not say who was responsible. Iraqi Spring Media Center said that 17 people were killed, including two children and 3 women (in a first report mentioned as “injured”), and 24 others were wounded, mostly women and children.

Raedlay posted a video of the effects, which was later deleted, of what was reported as “US bombing on the town of Karabilah”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Al Qa’im (القائم), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.3957715, 40.9943684. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ 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 Al Qaim, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 30, 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 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.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24
  • 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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]