Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

LC023

Incident date

February 7, 2016

Location

درنة‎: باب طبرق, Bab Tobruk, Darnah, Libya

Geolocation

32.752637, 22.640017 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An unknown aircraft bombed the Bab Tobruk neighbourhood near the medical centre in Derna, which led to the death of a woman and her child, according to local and international sources.

The three strikes, which reportedly targeted the Shura Council, damaged the Al Wahda hospital and the Omar bin Khattab mosque in the Zuhour district of Bab Tobruk. According to various sources, the strikes also hit a neighbourhood that wasn’t controlled by ISIS.

No warring party in Libya or any foreign government claimed responsibility for the attack. Libya Observer and Digital Journal later reported that Muftah Hamza, commander of the Al-Hilah axis, had accused the UAE of being responsible for the strikes.
Saqr el-Jerroushi from Libya’s internationally recognised government accused a “neighbouring country” of having conducted the airstrikes.

Ean Youth reported that “four people, including a child, a woman and two other youths” were killed. Other sources added that heavy damage had been caused to homes in the area.

Alnabaa News reported that of the four killed, two were “fighters of the Mujahideen Shura Council of Darnah”, suggesting that they were not civilians.

Alwasat news has listed the four victims names including one child, his mother and two adults.

While it has been stated in the HRW report that “Two bombs struck the Al-Wahda Hospital compound in the Bab Tobruk area, killing at least two civilians, including a child, and causing extensive damage”.

The incident occured at approximately 5:00 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Mistura al-Derasi
Age unknown female Via Alwasat news killed
Mohammed Juma
Child male Via Alwasat news killed
Walid Boukhatwa
Age unknown male Via Alwasat news killed
Muhamed al-Obeidi
Age unknown male Via Alwasat news killed

Geolocation notes (6) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention several airstrikes targeting the Bab Tobruk (باب طبرق) neighborhood in Derna (درنة). After investigating visual material from sources, we narrowed the locations of these airstrikes to a parking lot and a medical complex, the exact coordinates for which are 32.755768, 22.639904 and 32.752637, 22.640017, respectively. At least two civilians were killed in the strike targeting the latter location.

  • Image from scene of airstrike targeting parking lot

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Satellite image showing parking lot targeted by airstrike

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Image showing features destroyed in airstrike targeting medical complex, including medical school, staff residences, and mosque. Note tag "D" refers to the water tower barely visible behind the line of trees.

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Image showing line of trees abutting location of airstrike targeting medical complex

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Image showing features destroyed in airstrike targeting medical complex

    Imagery:
    Witness

  • Image showing features destroyed in airstrike targeting medical complex. Note the water tower tagged "D" that was barely visible behind the row of trees. Also note the large mosque at the bottom left of the image.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    United Arab Emirates Military

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • An image shows the aftermath of the airstrike allegedly conducted by LNA in Derna (Source: Al-Nabaa TV)
  • A picture shows the aftermath of the airstrike allegedly conducted by LNA in Derna (Source: Alwasat)
  • An image shows people gathering around the place followed an alleged LNA airstrike in Derna (Source: Alwasat News)
  • An image shows a building damaged followed an alleged LNA airstrike on Derna (Source: Alwasat News)
  • A report video: unknown aeroplane conducted airstrike in Derna which led to killing at least four people (Source: Alwasat news)
  • Translation: Libya Now | A statement of the Crisis Committee of the city of Derna in Tripoli condemn the aerial bombardment of Bab Tobruk (Source: @libyaalaan)
  • Translation: A condemn by the crises committee in the eastern coast Derna regarding the bombardment of Bab Tobruk (Source: @fawzi898)
  • An image shows the damage of Al-Wihda Hospital staff housing units in Derna, followed alleged airstrikes on February 7, 2016 (Source: HRW)
  • A picture shows the damage of Al-Wihda Hospital in Derna, followed alleged airstrikes on February 7, 2016 (Source: HRW)
  • A picture shows the damage of Al-Wihda Hospital in Derna, followed alleged airstrikes on February 7, 2016 (Source: HRW)
  • An image shows the damage of Al-Wihda Hospital in Derna, followed alleged airstrikes on February 7, 2016 (Source: HRW)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: 1 - The killing of a child and his mother by an air raid by unidentified aircraft dawn today on civilian houses in Bab Tobruk district of the city of Derna, east of Libya (Source: @ ahmad_khalifa78)

United Arab Emirates Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    United Arab Emirates Military
  • United Arab Emirates Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    United Arab Emirates Military

Sources (26) [ collapse]