Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI627

Incident date

April 11, 2017

Location

عنه, Anah, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

34.372699, 41.986442 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that six civilians were killed and several others were wounded in an alleged Coalition airstrike on Anah, in the west of Anbar province.

In a suggestion that the deaths were caused by the Iraq Air Force, Saad Awad – the mayor of Anah district – reportedly called on the government’s air force “to be more accurate and cautious with their airstrikes within the judiciary; because they target civilians more than the Islamic State.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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 belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

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
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Anah, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SGU746075
    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 April 10th-11th the Coalition did not report strikes near Anah, yet it did for elsewhere in Anbar province: “Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an ISIS tactical vehicle and destroyed an anti-air artillery system.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • 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 belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]