Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI658

Incident date

April 22, 2017

Location

17 تموز, West Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336843, 43.117979 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that 59 civilians, including women and children, were killed and dozens were injured after Coalition airstrikes and shelling on 17 July neighbourhood, as well as on Old Mosul and a health centre in Oreibi neighbourhood, all in West Mosul. It was said that more than seven houses were destroyed “over the heads of residents”.

The incident was first reported on April 22, 2018 at 12:24 am by Iraqi Spring Media Center.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident refer to residential buildings in the 17 July (تموز 17), as well as Old Mosul (المدینة القدیمة) and a “health centre” (مركز صحي) in the Oreibi area (العریبیي). For this reason, the coordinates given in the assessment summary are the generic coordinates for West Mosul. The coordinates for 17 July (Talmuz/تموز 17 ) are 36.3667014, 43.0854607. The coordinates for Oreibi (العریبیي) are 36.3539142, 43.0924988, although its boundary are unclear. Possible coordinates for the “health centre” in Oreibi (مركز صحي في حي العریبي) are 36.3584776, 43.0967943.

  • Locations named in reports of the incident.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    59
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (4) [ 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 information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 21st-22nd: “Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units; destroyed six fighting positions, two VBIEDs, two mortar systems, two tactical vehicles, a weapons cache, a front-end loader, a rocket-propelled grenade system and an ISIS warehouse; damaged 22 ISIS supply routes and two fighting positions; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit and rocket team.”

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
    59
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]