Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI803

Incident date

July 7, 2017

Location

عنة الجديدة والريحانة, New Anah and Al Rayhana, Al Anbar, Iraq

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians were reportedly killed and several others were injured in alleged Coalition airstrikes on New Anah in western Anbar Province, two local sources reported.

Noor al Mustafa Hayder Dawoud, one of the sources, also reported that the house of Ossman Azzawi, the al Sayed household, Hajji Sayf’s household, Sheikh Nayef’s household, Al Maher Radi’s house and Hussein Ali’s house were hit in strikes on neighbouring Al Rayhana, but said there were no civilian casualties because members of ISIL had forced them out of the area.

Only Omar al Halbusi, the other source, alleged that the Coalition was responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near new Anah, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 2018
  • 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

On July 6th-7th the Coalition reported that “Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed an ISIS-held building and a tactical vehicle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]