Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CI878a

Incident date

March 20, 2019

Location

Anbar, Al Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

32.559763, 41.919644 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the death of one civilian and the injury of another near Anbar, Iraq. This was later confirmed to be a US action.

As CJTFOIR’s June 2019 civilian casualty report noted: “Coalition forces engaged in a small arms fire event. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed and another one unintentionally wounded in the exchange.”

The Coalition has not provided any further locational information for this incident, and Airwars researchers could not find any reported claims of civilian harm in the area on this day.

In its May 2020 annual report on civilian harm to Congress, the Pentagon confirmed this to be a US action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Table of US-only civilian harm events in Iraq and Syria for 2019, declared by the Pentagon to Congress in May 2020.

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
    Previously unknown
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    1
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    1
  • Stated location
    Anbar, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 27, 2019
  • Mar. 20, 2019, near Anbar, Iraq, via self-report. Coalition forces engaged in a small arms fire event. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed and another one unintentionally wounded in the exchange.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

Between March 10 - 23, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 250 strikes consisting of 398 engagements against Daesh
targets in Syria and Iraq.

In Iraq, CJTF-OIR conducted 57 strikes consisting of 60 engagements, engaged 44 Daesh tactical units, and destroyed 14 supply routes, three buildings, two fighting position, one weapons cache, and one cave.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • Known target
    ISIS

Sources (2) [ collapse]