Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI572

Incident date

March 22, 2017

Location

اليرموك, Mosul, Yarmouk, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336804, 43.083396 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two named eyewitnesses told The Guardian that fifteen of their family members were buried under the rubble and died in front of them and that dozens were injured. This happened after several airstrikes reportedly struck three houses and other places in the Yarmouk neighborhood, in the west of Mosul.

Ali Assad (32) told the British newspaper that six of his relatives were still under the rubble of their house. “My father, I saw him die in front of me, my brother, two sisters and two cousins. My mother survived, but then she was hit by some other explosion and a concrete slab fell on her. She’s badly hurt.”

It was furthermore reported that “15 people remained buried under three homes in the Yarmouk area of Mosul after a series of airstrikes on 22 March.”

In January 2019, the Coalition announced that it had classed the event as non credible due to a lack of available evidence of civilian harm: “After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Stated location
    near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38S LF 277 231
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 31, 2019
  • Mar. 22, 2017, near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. After a review of available information and 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 21st-22nd the Coalition noted: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 tunnels, 10 fighting positions, three mortar systems, a rocket-propelled grenade system, an artillery system, and a heavy machine gun; damaged 12 supply routes, three fighting positions, three tunnels, and a vehicle; and suppressed four ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]