Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI790

Incident date

June 29, 2017

Location

الموصل القديمة, Mosul, Old City, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34766, 43.12058 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local residents and press sources said that at least 80 civilians were killed and others injured – mostly children and women – after shelling and airstrikes hit their houses near the Al Nouri Mosque in the ongoing battle for the liberation of Old Mosul.

Half of the civilians died as a result of air strikes, said Alaraby news.

Yaqein Agency put the death toll at 82 civilians and said this was the work of the Joint Forces and their ground forces.

A senior Coalition official informed Airwars on July 5th that “It is primarily Coalition aircraft conducting AIR strikes in Mosul. It has been a number of weeks since the Iraqis flew there.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    40 – 82
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Scenes of destruction after heavy shelling and air strikes on Old Mosul (via Iraqi Spring Media Center)
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
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF313241
    Military Grid Reference System

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 28th-29th the Coalition publicly reported: “Near Mosul, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed 13 fighting positions, two weapons caches, a mortar system; and suppressed three fighting positions.” It additionally reported that “On June 28, near Mosul, Iraq, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed four fighting positions, three medium machine guns, a supply cache, a mortar system, a staging area, and a heavy machine gun; damaged two fighting positions and two ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    40 – 82
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]