Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI404

Incident date

January 8, 2017

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, East Side, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3738889, 43.1718063 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local reports say that the streets in eastern Mosul were covered by the bodies of dozens of civilians – their deaths caused by Coalition airstrikes and heavy artillery. Fighting was particularly intense in the Sugar Hill and Muthanna neighborhoods.

Alaraby reported that fighting and airstrikes by the Coalition forces and Iraqi forces killed and wounded at least 100 civilians in the neighborhoods of Muthanna, Comrades, Municipalities and Flowers. Local sources confirmed that “the bodies of dozens of victims, including women and children, lay scattered on the streets and indoors, with a lack of access to the region because of the ferocity of the battles there.”

Mosul Ateka said that Haitham Mahmoud Najafi (Abu Qudaamah) and his son Zaid and his wife and two daughters were killed, after the bombing of their home in the Al Muthanna neighbourhood.

Iraqi Spring Media Center put the death toll at 50 and said more than 60 were injured.

 

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Haitham Mahmoud Najafi
Adult male Father killed
Zaid
Age unknown male Son killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention several locations on the eastern side of Mosul: The Fourth Bridge ( الجسر الرابع), for which the coordinates are: 36.332565, 43.151646; Officers District (الضباط), for which the coordinates are: 36.3389125, 43.1544685; Muthanna (المثنى), for which the coordinates are: 36.3738889, 43.1718063; Rifaq (الرفاق), for which the coordinates are: 36.379167, 43.166111; Badiat (البلديات), for which the coordinates are: 36.3841162, 43.1603909;  and Zuhour (الزهور), for which the coordinates are: 36.3789337, 43.1850243. 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
    50
  • (1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    60
  • 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 (8) [ 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, Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF3693626862
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 29, 2018
  • Sep 29, 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.

  • After a review of available information and the strike video, it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 7th-8th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed five mortars, two supply caches, four fighting positions, a command and control node, a weapons cache, and a VBIED factory; suppressed three mortar teams; damaged 14 supply routes; and disabled a bridge.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    50
  • (1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    60
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]