Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI859

Incident date

September 28, 2017

Location

الشجرة, Al Shajarah village, near Al Hawijah, Kirkuk, Iraq

Geolocation

35.2135540, 43.4075860 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Dozens of civilians, including a whole family, were reported by local media as killed in Al Shajara near Hawija, south of Kirkurk province.

Iraq News Center’s correspondent said the dozens of victims were mostly women and children and situated the incident at the villages of Al-Shajara, Ghareeb and Al-Mistah in the area of Al-Abbas in the west of Hawija district. The source blamed Iraqi government forces. A later report from the same outlet said a family had died in the incident.

Hawija Now reported very violent bombing, though no civilian casualties were mentioned nor the identity of aircraft.

Currently, the culprit is unclear. One allegation against government forces and reports of unidentified aircraft means that no faction can be ruled out at this point. The Coalition has confirmed carrying out strikes around Hawijah that day. Airwars will update the entry when new information arises.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Shajara (الشجرة), near Al Huwijah (الحویجه) in the south of Kirkuk province. The coordinates for this village are: 35.2135540, 43.4075860.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 24
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (3) [ 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
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near al Shajarah village, Hawijah, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 28, 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.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For September 27th – 28th the Coalition reported “Near Huwijah, four strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed six vehicles, an ISIS-held building, a command and control node, an ISIS staging area and a VBIED.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 24
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (3) [ collapse]