Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI516

Incident date

March 6, 2017

Location

حي الصمود, Mosul, Sumud, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336144, 43.137013 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local residents and press sources said that eleven civilians were killed and more than 40 people were still under the rubble after a Coalition airstrike targeted the Sumud Quarter near the main generator.

The Telegraph interviewed several witnesses, who reported:

“The planes waited until one of the Daesh walked out into the street and then they struck. The fighter was only injured, but 11 members of one family in the house next door were instantly killed.”

The colossal destruction bore out their claims. Samood is a hellish landscape. Every third house seems to either bear the scars of a fierce firefight or is completely levelled. Burned-out husks of cars and the rubble from razed houses block most of the neighbourhood’s streets.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 55
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (11) [ 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

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 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 March 5th-March 6th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed 11 fighting positions, eight mortar systems, seven vehicles, four VBIEDs, three ISIS-held buildings, two medium machine guns, two command and control nodes, two roadblocks, a heavy machine gun, an artillery system, and an ISIS checkpoint; damaged 11 supply routes, eight vehicles, and two fuel tanker trucks; and suppressed 10 mortar teams and three ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 55
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]