Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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Incident Code

CI290

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

الدواسة والحدباء والنبي شيت والجوسق وكراج الشمال, Mosul, Hadba and other neighbourhoods, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3951712, 43.1503487 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to seven civilians were reported killed and 47 injured after the Coalition allegedly carried out dawn airstrikes on Mosul.

According to Yaqein, areas targeted included Ghazlani and Nabi Sheet. Citing a local source it said locals were quick to evacuate the injured to nearby hospitals and the dead bodies to the morgue. Mosul Eye gave the same casualty figures.

According to NRN News, the major raid targeted multiple sites across the city: International coalition aircraft bombed a headquarters of Daesh in the Nabi Sheet area in eastern Mosul, and bombed a house belonging to members of the organization in the Hadba neighbourhood to the north of Mosul. They also struck the traffic circle Directorate at the Faisaliah in the west of the city. Other strikes were reported in Al Muthanna, in the Baath and Arab neighbourhoods, and near the city’s Great Mosque. As well as killing at least 30 Daesh fighters, NRN said seven civilians “including women and children died.

An eyewitness in a video published by NRN (probably originating with Al A’Amaq) noted: When you see this bombing no one can blame Islamic State when they kill a spy with a bullet to his head. Innocent family members were killed by this bombing.

In their May 2020 civilian casualty report, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area at that time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    47
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A video captures bloody aftermath of the alleged Coalition airstrikes on Mosul - at least seven civilians were reported killed and 47 injured (via NRN)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF341293
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 1, 2020

  • Sept. 20, 2016, in Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 3049/CI290 38SLF341293

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For September 20th-21st the Coalition reported that “Near Mosul, one strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • (2 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    47
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC042

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

مشروع نينا الزّراعي, Ninah Agricultural Project, Jufra, Libya

Geolocation

29.760503, 15.228767 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike in the vicinity of Ninah Agricultural Project near Sokna. Multiple outlets including the Libyan Observer reported seven dead and at least four wounded.

Alsdaa Alibya listed six women and one child among the victims, naming them in a Facebook post.

The sources claim that the strike came from a GNA affiliated militia, either Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous or Misurata Air Force.
UNSMIL later reported that it had “documented 7 deaths and 3 injured at a health spring water part… including 6 women and 1 girl killed.”

Libya Herald reported that “some of the victims were visitors from Mizdah.”

Libya Al-Mostakbal quoted Juffra Mayor Fuad Al-Mahdi Rashid in a press statement saying that “an unknown warplane bombarded a gathering of families near an area called Nina Al-Azari Project in the municipality of Jufra, killing 7 women and injuring three others.”

Other sources, such as Alhayat, reported nine civilians dead and 20 others wounded near Hun, which is close to Sokna, but didn’t specify further on the location.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Aisha Ali Abu-Qasim
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Zakia Mohammed Ali
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Khadija Al-Akoubi Ibrahim
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Suad Al-Mabrouk Massoud
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Thuhiba Mohammed Omar Balab
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Aqla Abdullah Masoud
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Suha Abdul Salam Karid
Child Via Alsdaa Alibya killed
Khiryia Abdullah Muhktar
Age unknown female Via Alsdaa Alibya injured
Ibrahi Azzidin
Child Via Alsdaa Alibya injured
Abdulsalam Atallah
Age unknown Via Alsdaa Alibya injured

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 9
  • (1 child6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Government of National Accord

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Translation: This bombing of the aircraft of "Western European Misurata" on our people and this is the list of dead and wounded who died in the bombing of Nina near the city of Jafra (Source: @barga5050)
  • An image shows civilians bodies at the medical centre followed an alleged GNA airstrike on Jufra district (Source: Alwasat)
  • An image shows civilian car, attacked an alleged GNA airstrike on Jufra district (Source: Alwasat)
  • A video shows Al-Jafra tribes represented in the areas of Hoon, Ojla, Wadan, Zalah and al-Faqihah denounced the shelling of the Ninah agricultural project, which killed seven women and wounded six others, according to a statement issued by tribal representatives at the headquarters of the Hwanah tribe in Benghazi (Source: Libya Channel)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Ninah Agricultural Project (مشروع نينا الزّراعي), for which the generic coordinates are: 29.760503, 15.228767. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Government of National Accord Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7 – 9
  • (1 child6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–20
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Government of National Accord

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1291

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

خان طومان, Khan Touman, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1177702, 37.0513916 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 14 and 18 civilians, mostly emergency doctors and nurses, were killed in an attack on a medical centre in Khan Tuman, Aleppo, local sources reported. Most reports alleged Russian warplanes were responsible for the attack, which specifically targeted the centre. However, the Syrian Network for Human Rights also pointed to the regime in some posts.

According to Sky News Arabia, “the Russian air force raided the town of Khan Touman, around two hours after midnight, where a medical point of belonging to the union of relief organizations and medical care [UOSSM] was targeted, killing 14 people, including medical personnel, doctors, medics and ambulance drivers.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that fixed-wing warplanes “we believe are Russian” executed the strike – though there was some confused reporting, for in several other posts SN4HR blamed “regime shelling”.

Shaam News Network reported that “ambulance crews rushed to the target location to rescue the injured and take them to medical hospitals, but they came under direct bombardment during the performance of their tasks.”

Halab News Network (HNN) identified nine civilian fatalities – all reportedly rescue workers – in its list of martyrs.
In addition, HNN said eight other rescue workers were killed but were unable to identify them. Five of them were reportedly members of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM).

Syria News Desk added that over a dozen civilians were wounded, some left in a  critical condition. Some had reportedly been in the ambulances already when the medical centre was hit.

Finally, @baladinetwork tweeted four photographs of damage to the medical centre and ambulances.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Abu Tarek al Homsi
Adult male killed
Abu al Teeb al Homsi
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Abu Abdallah Sabouniye
Adult male killed
Abu Mahmoud
Adult male killed
Abu Hasan Tubbiye
Adult male killed
Abu al Mu’tassem Othman
Adult male killed
Abu Hanifa
Adult male killed
Abu Ibrahim
Adult killed
Mohammad Ahmad al Yusuf
Adult male killed
Abd al Rahman Mnafihi
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14 – 18
  • (10 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The contested strikes reportedly destroyed a medical center in Khan Touma, Aleppo, including an ambulance (via Baladi Network)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14 – 18
  • (10 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1290

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

تلبيسة, Talbisah, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.8420186, 36.711974 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and four civilians were killed and two to 25 injured in air or artillery strikes on the city of Talbissa outside Homs, local sources reported.

The lowest death count was given by @syriapost1 as one civilian – but with 10 more wounded.

Among the dead were at least one child, woman, and young man, tweeted @Syriamubasher, while other sources stated multiple children were wounded in the attacks. The Syrian Network for Human Rights tweeted a picture of a small child who had been wounded in his left arm.

Most reports claimed four civilians were killed in the strikes. For example, Homs Media Center said: “artillery shelling targeted the neighbourhood the city of Talbisah which resulted in four martyrs and more than 25 injured.”

Sources disagreed over whether the planes were Russian or the regime’s.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • A small boy, reportedly injured in the alleged Assad or Russian airstrikes in Talbisah, Homs (via SN4HR)
  • Pictures showing the alleged Assad or Russian airstrikes in Talbisah, Homs (via Baladi Network)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1–2 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–25
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1289

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

حي ‏المرجة‬, Marjah (Aleppo), Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1855676, 37.1802235 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and four civilians were killed, and between two and thirteen wounded, when cluster and barrel bombs struck al Marja in Aleppo, according to local media. Some sources accused Russian warplanes, while others claimed regime helicopters were involved.

The Syrian Observatory for Human referred to one fatality, while Twitt-book News counted four.

@Radioharafm tweeted, “Martyrs and injuries in the Marjah neighborhood targeted by warplanes with cluster bombs in Aleppo,” while @RFS_NORTH tweeted, “Syrian helicopters targeted the neighborhoods Bab al Hadeed and Marjah with barrel bombs in the besieged city of Aleppo.”

According to Almodon, the helicopters dropped more than 10 barrel bombs.

However, other sources accused Russian warplanes. @HalabTodayTV tweeted about “injuries in a Russian aerial bombardment,”

Notably, Shaabnews tweeted that both Russian warplanes and Syrian helicopters participated in the bombings.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–13
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 4
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–13
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1288

Incident date

September 20, 2016

Location

حي السكري, Sukkari , Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.17594, 37.14111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between two and five civilians including a child and up two women died and several more were wounded in an alleged Russian or Assad regime airstrike on Aleppo’s Al Sukkari neighbourhood, according to local media. Al Jazeera said that a six-storey building was destroyed in the attack.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a child and two women died. Orient put the death toll at five civilians, while the lowest death count was given at two by the Step News Agency.

A number of sources reported that explosive barrel bombs were dropped on the neighbourhood.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The civil defence rescues civilians from under the rubble in the immediate aftermath of the strikes in al-Sukkari, Aleppo (via White Helmets)

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI289

Incident date

September 19, 2016

Location

كبيسة, Kabaisa, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.591421, 42.612228 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident previously unknown to Airwars, according to a Coalition report, Sept. 19, 2016, near Kabaisa, Iraq: Report indicated civilians in a house were killed, but the only strike in the area that day was on a moving vehicle in a remote area.

Given reported British actions in the near region that day, Airwars flagged the incident to the UK’s MoD which said we can confirm that there was no UK involvement in the event.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

CJTF–OIR Declassified Assessment and Press Release

Attached to this civilian harm incident is a provisional reconciliation of the Pentagon's declassified assessment of this civilian harm allegation, based on matching date and locational information.

The declassified documents were obtained by Azmat Khan and the New York Times through Freedom of Information requests and lawsuits filed since March 2017, and are included alongside the corresponding press release published by the Pentagon. Airwars is currently analysing the contents of each file, and will update our own assessments accordingly.

Declassified Assessment Press Release

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition 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
    Other
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Kabaisa, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 1, 2016

  • Report indicated civilians in a house were killed, but the only strike in the area that day was on a moving vehicle in a remote area.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For September 19th-20th 2016 the Coalition reported that “Near Ramadi, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and a staging area and destroyed two heavy machine guns, a weapons cache, two command and control nodes, and two logistics hubs. Near Rawah, one strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle storage facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS1287

Incident date

September 19, 2016

Location

حي باب النيرب, Bab al Nairab , Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.1918713, 37.1722841 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local news outlets alleged that either Russian or Syrian forces were responsible for two civilian deaths, including one woman’s, on the road between Bab al Mayrab and al Salheen in Aleppo.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said “fixed-wing warplanes, believed to be Russian, fired missiles at the residential homes on the road leading to Bab Al Nayrab neighborhood from the Al Salhein neighborhood. As a result, two individuals including one woman was killed.”

HalabToday TV also claimed Russian warplanes struck Bab Al Nayrab.

Baladi Network, by contrast, tweeted that the planes belonged to the Assad regime, while some other sources reported that explosive barrel bombs had been dropped on the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between September 1st – 30th 2016.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (11) [ collapse]