Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI755

Incident date

June 10, 2017

Location

البورصة, Mosul, Borsa, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.345515, 43.116425 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that 18 civilians from four named families – mostly children and women – died under the rubble. An airstrike reportedly hit their homes in the Borsa area in the centre of Mosul. It is presently unclear who was responsible for the airstrikes.

Sawlf Ateka, a local Facebook page, launched an appeal to save the families from under the rubble. It said that those affected were the families of Khalis Ahmad Hamed Abaji and his brother Dr. Banyan Ahmad Hamed Abaji. They used to be the owners of Al Hadba analytical laboratories. The destroyed homes were located near the Bursa area, close to the Central Preparatory School and Fawaz Library. Sawlf Ateka said that as many as twenty civilians were under the rubble.

Other sources also said that the house near Borsa Street, opposite the school, was bombed. Iraqyoon Agency said that 18 members of four families were killed – the families of Dr. Banyan Abaji, the family of his brother (as mentioned above), as well as the families of his sister-in-law and his neighbour. And the local Syndicate of Pharmacists reported the deaths of “Dr. Anfal Karim Ismael Al-Hamdani and her family.” All of the bodies were later recovered.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Khalis Ahmad Hamed Abaji
Adult male Owners of Al Hadba analytical laboratories killed
Dr. Banyan Ahmad Hamed Abaji
Child male Owners of Al Hadba analytical laboratories killed

The victims were named as:

Dr. Anfal Karim Ismael Al-Hamdani
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 23
  • (5 children5 women2 men)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Images of the aftermath of the attack
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 information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF3049624335
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 1, 2017
  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 9th-10th the Coalition publicly reported: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, three ISIS-held buildings, a command and control node, a VBIED, and a VBIED staging area; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit and a mortar system.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 23
  • (5 children5 women2 men)
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]