Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI700

Incident date

May 9, 2017

Location

الرفاعي, Mosul, Rifae, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3558497, 43.0937862 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A father and son were caught in a bombing in western Mosul, according to local reports.

Several sources, including Sawlf Ateka, reported that Dr. Nuri Saeed al-Rawaji was killed along with his son Omar in the Rifae neighborhood of western Mosul. Ajel Al Mosul blamed their deaths on Iraq security forces, as did Yaqein, which reported they were killed by “random” mortar fire. Some reports said that Omar was instead injured.

In addition, Sawef Ateka reported “The martyrdom of the national shooting team member and Nineveh Sports Club member Hamza Maan Ahmed Al Sufi, son of national team coach Maan Ahmed Sufi, due to the impact of a mortar.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Dr. Nuri Saeed al-Rawaji
Adult male Father killed
Omar
Adult male Son killed

The victims were named as:

Hamza Maan Ahmed Al Sufi
Adult male Member national shooting team, Son of Maan Ahmed Sufi killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (3 men)
  • 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 attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Hamza Maan Ahmed Al Sufi
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 Rifae, Iraq
    Nearest population center

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 May 8th-9th: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and a sniper; destroyed 12 fighting positions, seven rocket-propelled grenade systems, four medium machine guns, three mortar systems, two VBIED facilitation areas, two front-end loaders, a sniper position, a weapons cache, an IED facility, a roadblock, a VBIED; damaged 13 ISIS supply routes, three fighting positions; and suppressed a mortar position.

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
    2 – 3
  • (3 men)
  • 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 attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (4) [ collapse]