Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI681

Incident date

May 1, 2017

Location

Mosul, Al Hermat, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.323338, 43.112861 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was killed and three others were injured in a suspected mortar strike by an unknown party on their family home.

Amnesty International provided the following field report to Airwars citing an eyewitness: ”On 1 May, I was sitting in the house, which is about 600-700 metres away from al-Haq mosque. There were 16 of us in one house. It was around 11:30am, and we were preparing lunch. The kids were in the front yard. I didn’t see it, but I heard the explosion. Two cars caught fire. Even our food was full of shrapnel. The sides of the house fell, and the outside wall to the courtyard. The mortar fell outside, in the courtyard. There was one IS fighter standing outside the house, but I don’t even think he was the target – it was a random strike.

The following were injured:

XXXX, 8 years old – shrapnel all over body

XXXX, 8 years old – shrapnel in both legs

XXXX, 4 years old – shrapnel in right leg

[I saw all of the injuries – the kids were in the tent.]

Only my son XXXX died. He was 8 years old. [photo of the death certificate shown to researchers]. He died from injuries on the way to the hospital. We were all holding him when he died.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    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 Al Hermat, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF270259
    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 May 1st-2nd 2017 the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul; two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two mortar systems, a front-end loader, an artillery system, a fighting position, a VBIED factory, and a medium machine gun.” It additionally stated that “Near Mosul, May 1st, three strikes destroyed three VBIEDs and three ISIS fuel tankers, and suppressed three mortar teams.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]