Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI528

Incident date

March 9, 2017

Location

حي الفاروق, Mosul, Farouk, Nineveh, Iraq

Airwars assessment

A local source told Airwars’ Iraq-based field researcher that three of his family members died in the Farouk neighbourhood of Mosul, after Coalition airstrikes allegedly targeted their house at 3pm in the afternoon while they were praying.

The family member provided Airwars with the names of the casualties, his father and his two brothers.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mezahim Abdullah Suleman
Adult male Father killed
Maher Mezahim Abdullah
Adult male Son killed
Mohamed Mezahim Abdullah
Adult male Son killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al-Farouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF318236
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 29, 2018
  • After a review of available information and the strike video, it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 8th-9th, the Coalition reported: “Mosul, fives strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed six vehicles, five tanker trucks, four mortar systems, 4 VBIEDs, two supply caches, a fighting position, an artillery system, an ISIS-held building, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS headquarters, and a weapons storage facility; damaged 32 supply routes; and suppressed nine mortar teams, a sniper team, a medium machine gun team, and an ISIS tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition