Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI832

Incident date

August 20, 2017

Location

تل عفر, Tal Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.378878, 42.447143 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 two civilians in an incident near Tal Afar, Iraq.

Their January 2018 civilian casualty report noted “During a Coalition strike which killed at least two ISIS members and destroyed an ISIS indirect fire weapon system being prepared to fire it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally killed when they inadvertently crossed into the blast area after the weapons had been fired from Coalition aircraft.”

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

Airwars had monitored mass casualty reports on August 20th (see I631 above), which may relate to this confirmed event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

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
    Entered target area just prior to or after munition released
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    2
  • Stated location
    near Tal Afar, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKF710290
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • Aug. 20, 2017 near Tal Afar, Iraq via self-report. During a Coalition strike which killed at least two ISIS members and destroyed an ISIS indirect fire weapon system being prepared to fire it was assessed that two civilians were unintentionally killed when they inadvertently crossed into the blast area after the weapons had been fired from Coalition aircraft.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For August 18th-19th the Coalition reported “Near Tal Afar, three strikes destroyed 24 vehicles, two tunnels, two weapons caches, two front-end loaders, a command and control node, a staging area, an explosives factory, an explosives cache, and a fighting position, and damaged three bridges and two supply routes.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]