Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI800

Incident date

July 3, 2017

Location

دگة بركة, Mosul, Dakat Barka, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.344722, 43.121111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A local monitor reported the deaths of four named civilians after their home in Dakkat Barka was shelled by an unknown source.

Mosul Ateka reported “The death of Mus’ab Talal al-Qasab (the son of Mukhtar Daga Baraka), his son, his sister and his sister’s daughter. Their bodies are still under the rubble, while the rest of the family is still in the house. They are seriously injured. They appeal to the honorable authorities to speed up their ambulance after the shelling of their house in Daka Baraka area.”

No additional details are presently known.

In April 2019 the Coalition announced that it had classed this allegation of civilian harm as non-credible, noting: “After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.”

This allegation had previously been closed by the Coalition in March 2018, however it was reopened due to new information, before being closed again in April 2019.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mus’ab Talal al-Qasab
Adult male son of Mukhtar Daga Baraka killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (1) [ 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area, Other
  • Stated location
    near Dakat Barka, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF313238
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 25, 2019
  • Apr 26, 2018
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties

  • July 3, 2017, near Dakat Barka, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report (previously closed, but the CIVCAS cell reopened it due to new information). After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 2nd-July 3rd the Coalition reported that “Near Mosul, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed 15 fighting positions, seven medium machine guns, and a heavy machine gun; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit and a mortar team.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]