Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI674

Incident date

April 28, 2017

Location

الصحة, Mosul, Saha, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.349444, 43.100833 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local press sources and an Iraqi activist said that fifteen civilians died and five were injured after airstrikes hit a house in Saha (Health) neighborhood in West Mosul.

Mohammed Fadel al-Hayali, a civilian activist, told TRT Arabic TV: “An airstrike targeted a house in Saha neighbourhood at the western district of Mosul yesterday evening, killing 15 people and wounding five.” He furthermore reported: “All the victims are relatives and come from three families, who were hiding in this fatal house.”

Al-Hayali could not say whether the Iraqi airforce of Coalition aircraft carried out the raid. “It is difficult to determine who bombed, especially because the roar of aircraft engines above the city is barely ever ceasing,” he said.

Hassan Ehsan Al Sabaha reported on Facebook that his cousin Ali Bilal al-Sabha al-Sharifi died in front of his house after airstrikes on the neighbourhood (see photo below). This was also reported by Ehab Alshuraife, who said that Ali Bilal was his only uncle.

A UN report on the protection of civilians in context of Nineveh operations and the retaking of Mosul stated: “In the evening of 27 April, an airstrike apparently targeting an ISIL vehicle hit three civilian houses in the ISIL-controlled al-Siha neighbourhood, western Mosul, killing 17 civilians, including six women and two children, and wounding four others, including a woman.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ali Bilal al-Sabha al-Sharifi
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15 – 17
  • (2 children6 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–5
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Relatives reported that Ali Bilal al-Sabha al-Sharifi died in an airstrike on Saha neighbourhood in West Mosul (via Hassan Ehsan Al Sabaha, Facebook)
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 Saha, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF296243
    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 27th-28th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight front-end loaders, two recoilless rifles, a vehicle, a mortar system, an excavator, and an anti-air artillery system; damaged a VBIED facility 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
    15 – 17
  • (2 children6 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–5
  • 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 (6) [ collapse]