Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI473

Incident date

February 21, 2017

Location

الازري, Uzri, Baghdad, Iraq

Geolocation

33.61579, 44.33891 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local and press sources said that up to three civilians were killed, including one women and at least one child, and up to two others were injured after an unknown warplane struck a family working in their fields in Uzri village, close to the Tigris river, on the “road to the coast” in Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad, at 3pm. Al Tarmiyah said that an unspecified number of women and children were also injured.

The Coalition later confirmed carrying out a rare targeted strike “near Baghdad” that day, though appears not to have been responsible according to reports.

A parliamentary delegation later visited the village to seek more information on the event. According to officials who spoke with Airwars, the strike was an Iraqi action which mistakenly resulted in the deaths of a woman named as the mother of Mohammed Al Karbuli along with her son Jassam. A second son Hazim was severely injured. The delegation recommended that the family be compensated.

On March 10, 2022 in the CJTF-OIR Civilian Casualty Report, the Coalition reported this incident to be “non-credible”, stating that “After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mother of Mohammed Al Karbuli
Adult female Mother killed
Jassam
Child male Son killed
Hazim
Age unknown male Son injured

Geolocation notes

Coordinates released by the Coalition place the event at 33.61578, 44.3389  

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • 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
    Open incident
  • Stated location
    near Azri, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SMC3867519752
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 10, 2022
  • Feb. 21, 2017, near Azri, Iraq, via Airwars report. After review of all available evidence it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 3084/CI473 38SMC3867519752

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For February 20th-21st, the Coalition did not report any strikes near Baghdad.

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1–2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]