Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI831

Incident date

August 19, 2017

Location

تلعفر, Tal Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.37997, 42.45602 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the deaths of five civilians in an event near Tal Afar, Iraq.

Their October 2017 civilian casualty report noted: “During a Coalition strike that destroyed an ISIS headquarters structure, it was assessed that five civilians were unintentionally killed.”

In July 2019 the Coalition provided Airwars with the location of this incident, accurate to within a 100 metre box.

Airwars had monitored a mass casualty event in Tal Afar on this day (see CI830), however the Coalition have assessed it to be non-credible due to insufficient information. It is possible that this confirmed incident relates to part of that event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • An image reveals the destruction that followed a Coalition airstrike in Tal Afar (via Abu Zeinab Al Shehabi)
  • An image reveals the destruction that followed a Coalition airstrike in Tal Afar (via Abu Zeinab Al Shehabi)
  • An image reveals the destruction that followed a Coalition airstrike in Tal Afar (via Abu Zeinab Al Shehabi)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    5
  • Stated location
    near Tal Afar, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKF718291
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • Aug. 19, 2017, near Tal Afar, Iraq, via self-report. During a Coalition strike that destroyed an ISIS headquarters structure, it was assessed that five civilians were unintentionally killed.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For August 19th-20th the Coalition reported Near Tal Afar, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed seven rocket systems, two command and control nodes, two mortar systems, a VBIED factory, a supply cache, and a front-end loader.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]