Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI769

Incident date

June 18, 2017

Location

المدينة القديمة, Mosul, Old City, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34075, 43.126911 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Fifteen people were reported killed and five more injured in heavy air and artillery strikes on Old Mosul, as Iraqi forces supported by the Coalition continued their push to capture the last ISIL-held neighbourhoods of Mosul.

Yaqein – which also reported 10 ISIL carbombs – said that “an aerial and artillery bombardment coincided with the storming of the old city by the joint forces and their militias, which resulted in the deaths and injury of about 20 civilians.”

Iraqi Spring Media Centre reported that 15 civilians died. Al Jazeera reported the same figure.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • Civilians reported injured
    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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ 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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq via self-report
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Feb 22, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 17th-18th, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, a supply cache and an artillery system.” It was additionally reported that “On June 17, near Mosul, Iraq, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed 22 vehicles, two command and control nodes, a VBIED, and an artillery system; and damaged five ISIS supply routes.”

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
    15
  • Civilians reported injured
    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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]