Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI488

Incident date

February 26, 2017

Location

Al Kour and other neighbourhoods on the right side of Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3468977, 43.129921 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources said that 33 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 35 injured due to Coalition airstrikes and artillery bombing on several neighborhoods at the right side of Mosul.

Journalists had reported to Yaqein that “aerial bombardment and artillery [shelling] targeted violently, today, the homes of civilians in areas at the right side of the city of Mosul, killing 33 civilians, including women and children, and injuring more than 35 others” and added that “retaliatory shelling also caused the destruction of a number of civilian houses and damaged other.”

Sonawa1 reported a large number of victims in Al-Kour neighbourhood at the right side of Mosul, due to artillery and airstrikes. According to Ajel al Mosul, the intended target may have been the Ekadat oil and gas station.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    33
  • Civilians reported injured
    35
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, ISIS

Sources (5) [ 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
    38SLF3218024085
    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 February 25th-26th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed 15 fighting positions, 11 mortar systems, three vehicles, three weapons caches, two ISIS-held buildings, two VBIEDs, a sniper position, an ISIS headquarters, two heavy machine guns, an artillery system, a UAV staging area, and a supply cache; and suppressed 14 mortar teams, two ISIS tactical units, an artillery team and a rocket-propelled grenade team.”

ISIS Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    33
  • Civilians reported injured
    35
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, ISIS

Sources (5) [ collapse]