Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Belligerent
Country
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

CI125

Incident date

October 18, 2015

Location

القائم, Al Qa'im, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

34.3957715, 40.9943684 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Six civilians were reported killed and 27 injured in an alleged Coalition strike at al Qaim in Anbar province.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • Civilians reported injured
    27
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

No Coalition strikes were publicly reported at Al Qaim for October 1th-19th. However, for October 17th-18th the Coalition noted: “Near Ramadi, three strikes destroyed an ISIL supply cache and denied ISIL access to two separate terrain locations.” And for October 18th-19th, the Coalition reported strikes in Anbar province at both Ramadi and Fallujah.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • Civilians reported injured
    27
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI126

Incident date

October 18, 2015

Location

الكسك, Kisik Junction, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.4618824, 42.6849747 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A civilian taxi was reportedly destroyed in a Coalition airstrike at Kisik Junction north west of Mosul, killing up to eight civilians including two children and a woman. A girl reportedly survived the attack. The event, described as an evening airstrike, led to the deaths of a number of named victims. The Coalition has confirmed striking an ‘ISIL vehicle’ on this date at Kisik.

In their January 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.

The victims were named as:

Ammar Anwar Mohammed Jamil
Adult male held a Masters in computing and mathematics from Mosul University, died operating a taxi which was bringing the al Fadhi family back from the Turkish border. killed
Abdullah Fathi Al Fadhi
Adult male was reported killed with his wife and at least two of their children, including a girl and a boy (pictured below) killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]

  • Ammar Anwar Mohammed Jamil, reportedly killed in a Coalition strike at Kisik Junction, Oct 18th 2015 (via Mosul Ateka)
  • Abdullah Fathi Al Fandi (via Mosul Ateka)
  • The Al Fandi children (via Mosul Ateka)

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
    38SKF926377
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 3, 2020
  • October 18, 2015, in Kisik Junction, 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. 2843/CI126 38SKF926377

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition has confirmed an airstrike at Kisik for October 18th-19th 2015: “Near Kisik, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and wounded an ISIL fighter.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 8
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

CI127

Incident date

October 18, 2015

Location

القوسيات, Alqosjat, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.4368746, 43.1029299 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In what may be a separate incident or confused reporting (see also the Kisik Junction report for this date) there were reports of a family of eight or nine killed at Alqosjat – an event said to have killed a woman and two children.

In their January 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
    8 – 9
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

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
    38SLF300341
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 3, 2020
  • October 18, 2015, in Alqosjat, 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. 2844/CI127 38SLF300341

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition has publicly reported no strikes for the Mosul area for October 18th-19th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 9
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS138

Incident date

October 17, 2015

Location

منبج, Manbij, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.5269242, 37.9559288 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four named civilians were reported killed in an airstrike at Manbij, although opinions were split as to whether the victims had been killed by the Assad regime or by the Coalition. As Ara News noted, “the identity of the planes remains unknown, because of the number of different actors that are bombing the Aleppo countryside including the Coalition, the regime and the Russians. And no side has claimed responsibility until now.”

Several sources named the dead, some named three and others named four civilian men.

The Syrian Network said that three civilians had died – but that they were killed after “regime warplanes fired missiles on Manbej city.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male another source says the victim was the son of Dr. Mohammad Al Sam’o, who is the owner of Al Kura al Ardiya bakery. The son was a first year medical student. killed
50 years old male from al Dadat village in the Manbij countryside killed
Adult male from Kosak killed
Adult male also named as Ahmad Hussein al Jammi from the village of Karqawi al Akrad killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (3–4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • An activist @SyrianInstitute tweets that the coalition did not report any raids on Manbij on the 17th. He says the planes that targeted the city were the regime's. 18th October 2018

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

No reference was made to Manbij in Coalition daily reports for October 17th-18th 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (3–4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Syrian Regime

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS052

Incident date

October 17, 2015

Location

عرفة, Arafeih, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

35.38178, 37.02376 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A young boy named as Mohammad Hussain Al Jassem later died of his injuries, six days after an October 17th airstrike on the town of Arafeih. According to reports the child was injured by shrapnel in the original attack. And on October 31st, a civilian male named as Hasan Ahmad Al Nazouha also died as a result of injuries sustained

The source of the airstrike was contested. While most attributed the attack to Russia, some news reports said it was the work of the Assad regime.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Hussain Al Jassem
Child male Due to the Russian air forces shelling To a displaced camps on a camp of displaced people killed
Hasan Ahmad Al Nazouha
Adult male As a result of a cluster bomb remnants of Russian shelling explosion killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • VDC names a male child Mohammad Hussain Al Jassem as a victim of a Russian strike on a displaced persons camp. (via VDC)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Arafeih (عرفة), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.38178, 37.02376. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Unknown

Russia has confirmed carrying out airstrikes in Hama governorate for both October 16th-17th 2015, and October 17th-18th 2015.

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 child1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Syrian Regime

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI123

Incident date

October 16, 2015

Location

يت, Hit, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.642631, 42.829814 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to local sources, ten civilians were killed and 23 wounded after Coalition aircraft struck Hit city, in the west of Anbar province. According to Iraqi Revolution a number of civilian homes at Shap Corniche were destroyed in the attack which had targeted Daesh elements, with children reportedly among the victims. One photograph showed a man cradling dead or injured child.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–33
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Residents at site of alleged Oct 16th Coalition strike at Hit which reportedly killed 10 civilians (via Iraqi Revolution)
  • A man cradles a child casualty of an alleged Coalition strike at Hit, Oct 16th 2015 (via Iraqi Spring)
  • Another image of the aftermath of the event (via Iraqi Revolution)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For October 15th-17th 2015, no strikes were publicly reported at Hit by the Coalition.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10
  • Civilians reported injured
    4–33
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS049

Incident date

October 16, 2015

Location

تيرمعلة, Teir Ma'ala, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.802364, 36.709287 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

For the second day in a row Russian aircraft reportedly targeted Teir Ma’ala, this time killing nine or more civilians according to reports. “Russian warplanes launched two raids on the town of Teir Ma’alah missiles, one of which targeted the area around the town mosque, which killed nine and about four wounded, mostly women and children,” reported Smart News.

Footage reportedly showing the attacks also features announcements from the local mosque to take shelter during the raid.

The Violations Documentation Center later named eleven civilians, ten of them adult and one female child.

Local Pro-government site Al Ahed reported only that nine ‘militants’ were killed in the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male Also known as 'Bassam' killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Adult male killed
Child female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 12
  • (1 child10 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Ahmad Adnan al-Ahdab named as a civilian victim of the strike on Teir Ma'ala, 16th October 2015. (via VDC)
  • Udai Ayman Qantary named as a civilian victim of the strike on Teir Ma'ala, 16th October 2015. (via VDC)
  • Footage purporting to show the 'Russian strike' on Teir Ma'ala, 16th October 2015. (via Syrian Revolutionaries Gathering)
  • Al Jisr Tv footage showing what it says is 'the Russian raids on the village of Teir Ma'ala', 16th October 2015. (via Al Jisir TV)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

Russia once again made no reference to any airstrikes in Homs governorate for October 16th-17th 2015.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 12
  • (1 child10 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RS050

Incident date

October 16, 2015

Location

كفر كرمين, Kafr Karmin, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.16432, 36.79017 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between ten and 13 civilians including five children died in a Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on Kafr Karmin.

The Syrian Network later named some eight of the including one man, two women and five children.

One eyewitness said the attack came “Exactly after Friday prayer [when] Russian planes targeted the village of Kafr Karmeen and killed between five and ten martyrs.”

While most sources blamed Russia, Smart News, Ara News and Al Araby said regime aircraft were responsible.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult male 38 years old from Darkoush town killed
Adult female 60 years old killed
Adult female 35 years old killed
Child female 12 years old killed
Child female 2 or 3 years old killed
Child female 5 months old or 2 years old killed
Child female 2 years old killed
Child female 1 year old killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 13
  • (5 children2 women1 man)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Photo of the victim Sjay Saleh al-Hameed killed in Kafr Karmin, Aleppo.16th October 2015. (via VDC)
  • Photo Sjay Saleh al-Hameed killed in Kafr Karmin, Aleppo.16th October 2015. (via VDC)
  • AA Turkish news agency footage of the aftermath of what it says was the Russian strike on Kafr Karmin in which it reports ten civilians were killed including three children, 16th October 2015. (via AA)

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Russian Military

According to the Kremlin “Russian aviation performed 36 combat sorties from the Hmeymim airbase engaging 49 ISIS facilities in the Hama, Idlib, Lattakia, Damascus and Aleppo provinces” on October 16th-17th 2015.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 13
  • (5 children2 women1 man)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]