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.
Summary
Sources (6) [ collapse]
Attached to this civilian harm incident is the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, 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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
-
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
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.”