Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI408

Incident date

January 9, 2017

Location

حي المثنى, Mosul, Muthana, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Local sources and relatives of victims said that Coalition airstrikes targeted a family house in Muthanna neighborhood northeast of Mosul. The raids reportedly killed a named civilian (53) with his mother (81) who could not leave her house due to her sickness while the son refused to abandon her.

Alaraby named Omar Abdel-Hamid al-Hamdani and his mother. Hamdani’s wife told Alaraby: “We wanted to go out, but his mother failed to move, my husband tried but the weight was too heavy, she did not leave her room for nearly two years. And we tried to seek help from neighbors, but everyone was preoccupied with himself and his family.” Rescue teams reportedly found the two at dawn on Tuesday, in the ruins of the house where “Hamdani was hugging his mother, aged 81 years, in one of the rooms.”

According to an Iraqi security officer quoted in the account, “planes bombed areas where armed activity [took place] in order to pave the way for the Iraqi forces.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Omar Abdel-Hamid al-Hamdani
53 years old male killed
Mother of Omar Abdel-Hamid al-Hamdani
81 years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF3617126705
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • 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.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 8th-9th the Coalition publicly noted : “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed three ISIL-held buildings, two vehicles, two mortar systems, a rocket propelled grenade launcher, a VBIED staging facility, and a VBIED; damaged 29 supply routes; and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and a mortar team.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]