Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI669

Incident date

April 27, 2017

Location

مشيرفة, Mosul, Meshrfa, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.344722, 43.121111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A local eyewitness resident said that three civilians were killed including a young boy as a result of unspecified mortar shelling on a house in Meshrifa at the western side of Mosul.

An unpublished Amnesty International field report shared with Airwars cited a local resident: “A week before the liberation [27 April], a mortar landed on the side of our brother’s house. The strike killed three of our neighbours, including a young boy. He was in pieces – there were just pieces of his flesh, everywhere in the yard. Two other neighbours were wounded, and they had to bring them to the hospital on vegetable carts because there were no ambulances or vehicles. One of them had lost the lower parts of his legs in the strike. At the hospital, they said, “If the legs are cut, there’s nothing we can do.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a house in Meshrifa neighbourhood (مشیرفة), West Mosul. The coordinates for Meshrifa neighbourhood (مشیرفة) are 36.344722, 43.121111.

  • Boundary of Meshrifa neighbourhood ( مشیرفة ), West Mosul

    Imagery:
    © 2018 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child)
  • 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, Unknown

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Meshrfa, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF264391
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • 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

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.“

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child)
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]