Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI497

Incident date

March 1, 2017

Location

سوق الشعارين, Mosul, Sha'aren market, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3438061, 43.1318843 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources said that 18 persons were either killed or injured, including children and women, after airstrikes reportedly struck the Sha’aren market and mills area in western Mosul.

Iraq News reported “the deaths of four people and the injuring of 14 others including women and children, following an aerial bombardment on the Sha’aren market and the Mills neighbourhood at the right side of Mosul, on Wednesday morning.”

@zyaad_alsenjary said on Twitter that “displacement into the old city of #Mosul increased the population density dramatically so any bombing operations or clash means the fall of a large number of innocents”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Civilians reported injured
    14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Damage to Sharen market area, March 1st 2017 (via Wadi Hajar Nerighbourhood)
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
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF323236
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2018
  • 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 28th-March 1st, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed nine mortar systems, six fighting positions, five VBIED facilities, three supply caches, three ISIS-held buildings, three VBIEDs, and an improvised weapons factory; damaged six supply routes; and suppressed 14 mortar teams and two ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Civilians reported injured
    14
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (9) [ collapse]