Airwars assessment
In a previously unreported incident, the Coalition confirmed on April 1st 2017 that it had accidentally killed two civilians during an attack on an ISIL vehicle bomb factory.
The Coalition stated: “Feb. 16, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via self-report: During a strike on an ISIS VBIED facility, it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally killed when they entered the target area after the munition was released.”
Coordinates provided by the Coalition to Airwars (38SLF 27931 24198) showed the incident occurred in the Isilah Zeraei / Agragarian Reform area of Mosul, near the Al Farouk mosque. There were reports of a former sewing factory in the area bombed, with Kuna noting that “According to a security source that the aircraft of the International Coalition launched several air strikes targeting a building used by the organization for some of its leaders, which killed 13 people, and also targeted a building located in the area of Isilah Zeraei in Mosul, which included leaders including Arabs and foreigners.”
More general reports spoke of civilian casualties in ‘west Mosul’ from air and artillery strikes, including by US Apache helicopters.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (5) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ 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
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During a strike on an ISIS VBIED facility, it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally killed when they entered the target area after the munition was released.
Original strike reports
For February 15th-16th 2017, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, eight strikes destroyed four weapons caches, two VBIED facilities, and an IED facility and damaged three supply routes.“