Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

LC022

Incident date

December 26, 2015

Location

اجدابيا, Ajdabiya, Al Wahat, Libya

Geolocation

30.747792, 20.236924 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

LNA strikes reportedly targeted alleged terrorists in the industrial area of Ajdabiya. Sources reported that a Sudanese cafe and/or car repair shop was struck during the raids – along with a policeman travelling nearby in his car. Up to three civilians reportedly died with as many as 19 more wounded.

According to Libya 24, “military aircraft bombed Ansar al-Sharia sites in the industrial neighbourhood of the city of Ajdabia, where witnesses said that the fighter was targeting the terrorist sites and hit a Sudanese restaurant where some workers had gathered. This led to the deaths of a number of those present and the injuring of more. A medical source at the hospital confirmed that the hospital received one dead person and 19 injured from the site of the shelling, their injuries varying in severity”.

Annahar Online added that “Two people were killed and two others were injured when the Libyan Air Force mistakenly bombed a cafe in the industrial area of Ajdabiya”.

According to Akhbar Libya News 24, the strike also “killed the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Ajdabiya Mohammed Boubaker Kbaili“. The source said that “Kabbaili was driving his car with his son in the industrial neighbourhood during the air strikes. He sustained shrapnel injuries from which he died, while his son was admitted to hospital for treatment”.

It went on to say that the Libyan Air Force was targeting warehouses in the industrial neighbourhood, resulting in the strikes accidentally hitting The Blue Nile Cafe. Three people reportedly died with 17 more wounded.

@rawadfree1 didn’t report a raid on a Sudanese cafe but said that “a car repair shop owned by Sudanese people” – though it made no mention of civilian harm. Faraj Shitaw referred to the bombing of a  “workshop”.

Similarly, the source Akhbar Libya 24 didn’t report any civilian casualties but said that Libyan Air Force strikes led to “a large number of deaths among the terrorist militias”. It added that “what is striking is the accuracy of these air raids targeting the leaders of these organisations and their gatherings”.

The incident occured at 09:45:00 local time.

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike targeting a restaurant and possibly a car repair shop in Ajdabiya (اجدابيا).  After evaluating visual material from sources, we narrowed this down to two buildings across the street from one another, for which the the exact coordinates are: 30.747792, 20.236924.

  • Image showing neighborhood damaged by airstrike

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Image showing moment of airstrike behind water tower

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Satellite imagery showing distribution of features in witness-provided evidence

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Satellite image showing two buildings on opposite sides of street targeted by airstrike. Note the targeted buildings are near the features tagged "E" and "G" in the preceding images.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–19
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Translation: Libyan Air Force hit a restaurant and workshop belongs to Sudanese in Ajdabiya today (Source: @ rawadfree1)
  • Translation: photos of the site of Ansar Sharia, which was targeted by air strikes by air force planes in the city of Ajdabia this morning (Source: @mohamedalzober)
  • Translation: Ajdabiya Libyan Air Force bombarded several locations of Daesh this morning and reported 19 terrorist attacks (Source: @ MstrMax11)
  • Translation: 3. New aerial bombardments carried out by Haftar warplanes targeting the industrial zone south of Ajdabiya (Source: @ ahmad_khalifa78)
  • Translation: Photos showing some of the Sudanese nationality of the survivors of the bombardment of war criminal aircraft Haftar and sprayed in the city of Ajdabia. While the pages and channels of dignity(LNA) since the morning news that the bombing of "ammunition store" in the city of Ajdabia (Source: Faraj Shitaw)

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    17–19
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army

Sources (10) [ collapse]