Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

LC169

Incident date

July 22, 2019

Location

مدرسة المرازيق, Outside of Al Marazeeq school, Tarabulus, Libya

Geolocation

32.617245, 13.216547 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four civilians were reportedly killed in Qasr Bin Gashir when a GNA airstrike hit their car.

Address Libya wrote: “A military plane belonging to the Misurata Air Force College on Monday bombed a civilian car in Al Marazeeq area south of Qasr Ben Gashir, killing one of them.

According to eyewitnesses, the car was carrying a family, where a tape showed the entire vehicle was burned.”

ObservatoryLY said: “Misurata Air Force bombard a citizen’s car and his family in Al Marazeeq area south of Qasr bin Gashir.”

Other sources published similar accounts of the incident and posted pictures and videos.

Hona Soq Al-Khmies Emsihel said the incident took place near Al Marazeeq high school.

An Amnesty International on-the-groudn investigation later said: “On the morning of 22 July 2019, four GNA air strikes, on the outskirts of Qasr Bin Ghashir and more than five kilometres from the front lines, completely destroyed one house and damaged another one nearby which belonged to the members of the same family, without causing any casualties among the members of the family, but reportedly killing four civilians in a passing car. However, analysis of satellite imagery shows military vehicles near the civilian homes, and three LNA artillery cannons 100 metres to the south, across the road and behind a school. Combatants should not place legitimate military targets in populated residential areas as these endanger civilians. Fragments recovered at the scene by Amnesty International investigators confirm that at least two of the weapons were unguided FAB-style 250kg bombs. One of the craters was significantly larger than the others, ten meters across and more than three meters deep, which may indicate one weapon was much heavier. However, the FAB-250 itself is also a large explosive weapon, with a blast radius of over 600m, and therefore should not be used in populated urban areas.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck outside of the Al Marazeeq School (مدرسة المرازيق). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to these exact coordinates: 32.617245, 13.216547.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Government of National Accord

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Video showing the alleged aftermath of the strike
  • Picture of the car allegedly hit in the incident
  • More pictures from the alleged site of the incident

Government of National Accord Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Government of National Accord
  • Government of National Accord position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Government of National Accord

Sources (12) [ collapse]