Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI668

Incident date

April 27, 2017

Location

الإصلاح الزراعي, Mosul, Islah al Zirai, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3507344, 43.0868769 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that nineteen civilians died when international Coalition or Iraqi aircraft hit Islah Al Zerae neighbourhood in West Mosul. Yaqein also noted that two houses were fully destroyed.

Several other sources reported that in total on that Friday, up to 36 civilians were injured or killed as a result of airstrikes on West Mosul neighbourhoods.

Both Iraqi forces and the Coalition were mentioned as responsible for the various raids. Sonawa indicated that ISIL may have been a source for some of the casualty claims.

In a field report which may relate to this or another event, Amnesty International noted the following – citing a local witness: “The fourth airstrike was two weeks after the first (around the end of April). An entire family was killed when an airplane (presumed) hit a house near Mahmoud water-well. This time it was 150 metres from the house where I was staying. They killed another entire family in this house. I don’t know what the target was as this time I was unable to get to the scene. By now they had destroyed the roads and all the intersection with airstrikes so the streets were impassable.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    19 – 35
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Islah al Zirai, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF284244
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 28, 2018
  • 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 April 26th-27th, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed 19 vehicles, eight front-end loaders, two ISIS fortifications, a command and control node, a mortar system, and an ISIS staging area; damaged seven ISIS supply routes and suppressed two mortar teams.“

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
    19 – 35
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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]