Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

Lib2011-162

Incident date

September 15, 2011

Location

الحي رقم 2, Neighbourhood No 2, Sirte, Libya

Geolocation

31.208213, 16.566095 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 30 and 64 civilians were allegedly killed in a NATO airstrike on neighbourhood No 2 in Sirte.

Mustafa Al Fitouri wrote in his book, naming 46 civilians: “The seventh air strike took place in Sirte on 15th September at 7pm where the warplanes targeted a gathering of civilian vehicles inside and near it a group of youth civilians and led to killing between 30 and 58 civilians and I were able to documunate number of them.”

Tk Yahrouq Kl shy posted 58 names of which four belong to another incident.

Sirte September 15th martyrs wrote: “On that sad evening, when NATO aircraft bombed a group of young people and children from civilians of the city of Sirte in District No. 2.

The victims of that treacherous attack were 58 young men and children.”

Afrigate News put the death toll at 56.

Salah Traboulsi said 59 people had been killed.

Number 15th martyrs posted a list with 65 names on Facebook, one of them belonging to a different incident.

NATO declared having hit “1 Military Storage Facility, 2 Armed Vehicles, 1 Tank, 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 8 Air Missile Systems” near Sirte on that day.”

It later assessed the incident saying: “Multiple vehicles with substantial numbers of associated military personnel on the ground over an extended period.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

Family members (14)

Family members (5)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    30 – 64
  • (2 children4 women27 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Suspected target
    Gaddafi forces

Sources (69) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Miftah Al-Ammari, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Ahmed Abu Shweishah, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Abdullah Milad Majdoubi Gaddafi, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Ali Hasan Al Mabrouk Al Warfali, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Yusef Arhumah Abusaksa Al-Sulaimani, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Tariq Muhammad Al-Sharif, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Hatem Jibril Souf Al-Droui and Moez Juma'a Souf, allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)
  • Victims allegedly killed by NATO airstrike on Sirte on September 15th, 2011 (via Sirte september 15th martyrs)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood No. 2 (الحي رقم 2) of Sirte (سرت‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.208213, 16.566095. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood No. 2 (الحي رقم 2) of Sirte (سرت‎).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

NATO forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    NATO forces
  • NATO forces 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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

NATO forces
  • Mar 8, 2011

  • Multiple vehicles with substantial numbers of associated military personnel on the ground over an extended period.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    30 – 64
  • (2 children4 women27 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Suspected target
    Gaddafi forces

Sources (69) [ collapse]