Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI807

Incident date

July 11, 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

Local sources reported that 200 homes in Old Mosul to the west of the city were completely destroyed with many of their residents presumed dead following the intense fighting of the previous weeks.

Hossam al Din al Abbar, a member of the Ninveh Provincial Council, was quoted by several sources as saying: The civil defence teams have recovered 1,700 bodies belonging to civilians from the rubble of the houses in the city of Mosul since the launch of the military campaign to liberate the city on October 17.

There are more than 200 homes that were destroyed in the Old City on the western side of Mosul so we expect the number of civilian casualties to double as the civil defence teams begin their recovery operations.

Presently, no further details with regards to the specifics of civilian casualties were available but will be presented when the information is acquired.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Old City of Mosul (موصل القديمة), for which the coordinates are: 36.34075, 43.126911.

  • Old City of Mosul (موصل القديمة)

    Imagery:
    © 2019 Google

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • A picture reveals the massive destruction following an intensive strike on Mosul. According to sources, civilians presumed dead following the intense fighting of the previous weeks (via Omar Al Halbusi)
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

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 28, 2018
  • The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For July 10th-11th, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed 28 fighting positions, 11 medium machine guns, an IED, and a VBIED facility; and damaged a fighting position.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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, Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]