Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI780

Incident date

June 22, 2017

Location

الساعة, Mosul, Al Saaha, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

A local Facebook page reported that Professor Ghanem Ismail Ahmed (Abu Nashwan) was killed by unspecified bombing in a house in which he had taken refuge, in Saaha neighbourhood in Old Mosul. He was a former head of the al-Thawra school, and of the Imam al-Satt Nafisa Mosque.

In December 2018, the Coalition announced that it had classed the event as non credible due to a lack of available evidence of civilian harm: “June 22, 2017 near Al Saa’a neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. 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.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Professor Ghanem Ismail Ahmed
Adult male Also know as Abu Nashwan, former head of the al-Thawra school and of the Imam al-Satt Nafisa Mosque killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Pictures of Professor Ghanem Ismail Ahmed
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 Al Saa’a neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 30, 2018
  • June 22, 2017 near Al Saa’a neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. 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 June 21st-22nd, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, four strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and a sniper; destroyed 35 fighting positions, 10 medium machine guns, seven rocket-propelled grenade systems, six heavy machine guns, five vehicles, three VBIEDs, two command and control nodes, a mortar team, and a UAS launch site; damaged two ISIS supply routes; and suppressed a mortar team.“

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerents
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]