Airwars assessment
A family of five was reported killed by either Iraqi, US or French artillery strikes or Coalition airstrikes on the al Mashahda quarter of West Mosul, which is still under ISIL control.
Al Jazeera Iraq spoke to witnesses and blamed Iraqi forces for the artillery shelling, and said they had targeted the house in the neighbourhood in preparation of “storming it”. Other sources blame the US or the wider Coalition.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (5) [ collapse]
Attached to this civilian harm incident is the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, 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.
US-led Coalition Assessment:
Civilian casualty statements
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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
For March 17th-18th the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 56 ISIS vehicles, 25 fighting positions, five rocket-propelled grenade systems, two medium machine guns, two mortar systems, and an ISIS VBIED; and suppressed 20 ISIS mortar teams and four ISIS tactical units.”