Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI860

Incident date

September 28, 2017

Location

الحویجه, Al Huwaijah, Kirkuk, Iraq

Geolocation

35.3240179, 43.77335 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A social media post said that a young student in Huwaija, Mohammed Ali, had received news of the death of his family. It was unclear whether this might relate to incident I662, which referred to the death of a family at al-Shajara.

The US-led Coalition was not blamed. There is no further information available at this time.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident only mention the town of Al Hawijah (الحویجه), in the south of Kirkuk province. The coordinates for this town are: 35.3240179, 43.77335.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ 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 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.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]