Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Belligerent
Country
Libya
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Incident Code

LC099

Incident date

November 29, 2018

Location

العوينات, Al Uwaynat, Ghat, Libya

Geolocation

25.772877, 10.558719 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Eleven civilians were reported killed as a result of a US airstrike near Al Uwaynat. The event marks the biggest single allegation of civilian harm against the United States in Libya so far.

Initial reports had indicated that the US had targeted Al Qaeda members with a precision strike near the town in the south of Libya. AFRICOM confirmed the strike a days later saying that “U.S. Africa Command conducted a precision airstrike near Al Uwaynat, Libya, November 29, 2018, killing eleven (11) al-Qa’ ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorists and destroying three (3) vehicles.” It added that “at this time, we assess no civilians were injured or killed in this strike.”

On December 2nd, however, SITE Intelligence group reported that “Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), al-Qaeda’s branch in Mali, reportedly rejected the claim by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) that its airstrike in Libya killed 11 al-Qaeda members, alleging instead that the victims were Tuaregs with no connection to the group.”

Two days later protests by Tuaregs in Al Uwaynat followed, claiming those killed in the attack where civilian tribespeople. The Libya Observer wrote: “Members of the Tuareg community gathered in Ubari town in southwestern Libya to condemn in the strongest terms the airstrike conducted by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) near Awaynat town last Thursday, which killed 11 people; AFRICOM claimed they were al-Qaeda militants.

The protesters accused AFRICOM of killing 11 innocent people under the pretext of terrorism and without any evidence substantiating their guilt, denouncing what they described the defamation and the media disinformation campaign against the martyrs of the ‘horrific Awaynat massacre,’ in reference to those killed in the airstrike.

Banners were raised against AFRICOM, accusing it of killing innocent people on charges of terrorism and rejecting the killing and exterminating of Tuareg ‘via phone calls’. The protesters called on the Attorney-General and the Interior Ministry to open an investigation into the attack to determine the facts and circumstances.

In a statement issued during the stand, the tribe members demanded in the name of the persons entitled to claim retaliation and in the name of Tuareg Tribe elders and dignitaries, the Presidential Council, the House of Representatives, and the High Council of State to open an impartial international and local investigation in what they called the ‘Awaynat massacre’ in no more than 48 hours, warning to step up their protest if their demands were not met.”

In addition, the article said that the “statement insisted that the victims included civilians and military personnel, among them, was a field commander in Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous, who fought terrorism in Sirte to offer his country security and stability.”

The statement also described the convoy that was bombed to have been “on its way to rescue a group of Tuareg, near the Algerian border, who were encountering a smuggling gang attempting to smuggle heavy machinery to Algeria.”

Rpoh Libya posted a video of Moses Tony on Facebook, allegedly showing him fighting ISIS in Sirte. The post says he was killed in the “unprovoked” strike.

A Facebook post by “No to the Brotherhood and extremists in Libya” says that Issa Mousi Ahmed Malik Taraki was killed “in an airstrike carried out by AFRICOM by unmanned aerial vehicles, which targeted three four-wheel-drive vehicles belonging to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) while they were in the area of Wadi Filalin-Awainat, north of Ghat. However, there are voices from the Tuareg tribes refusing that the targeted group is linked to Al-Qaeda (Sahel and Sahara), led by the Algerian leader Jamal Akasha and the Meccan Yahia Abualhamam, and that this group was fighting ISIS in Sirte.”

Responding to a second request about the incident by Airwars, AFRICOM stated: “At this time, we still assess that no civilians were injured or killed as part of the Nov. 29 air strike. However, we are aware of reports alleging civilian casualties resulting from the Nov. 29 airstrike near Al Uwaynat. As with any allegation of civilian casualties we receive, U.S. Africa Command will review any information it has about the incident, including any relevant information provided by third parties. If the information supporting the allegation is determined to be credible, USAFRICOM will then determine the next appropriate step. USAFRICOM complies with the law of armed conflict and takes all feasible precautions during the targeting process to minimise civilian casualties and other collateral damage.”

Al Jazeera later published an article with the names of the remaining victims, again quoting locals saying none of them were members of Al Qaeda.
An article in the Intercept published April 3, 2022 gives more information into those killed and details a new criminal complaint filed in Italy regarding the incident. Madogaz Musa Abdullah, the brother of one of the victims, told the Intercept that “AFRICOM killed 11 people on the basis that they were terrorists, but these young men were completely against terrorism. They were killed without evidence. I challenge AFRICOM to produce evidence that even one of these men was on a U.S. target list.” Abdullah, along with a spokesperson for his ethnic Tuareg community and representatives of three nongovernmental organizations, filed a criminal complaint against the former Italian commander at the U.S. air base in Sigonella, Sicily, seeking accountability for his role in the killings. The complaint has asked the public prosecutor’s office in Siracusa, where the base is located, to investigate and prosecute Col. Gianluca Chiriatti and other Italian officials involved in the attack for murder.
Legal documents obtained by the Intercept allegedly show that “most of the men killed were members of the Libyan armed forces; several had previously fought against Al Qaeda or even alongside the United States when it battled the Islamic State in the city of Sirte two years earlier. The men were armed and heading from their homes in Ubari, a village in southwest Libya, toward the Algerian border to assist fellow community members who had been attacked by a gang with whom they were feuding over abandoned construction equipment.”
The complaint also reads that “The eleven victims were not members of Al Qaeda or any other terrorist organization and were not combatants: they were travelling to retrieve an excavator that was the subject of a dispute with another group. These murders, committed outside of any armed conflict and therefore qualifying as an extraterritorial law enforcement operation, are in direct contrast with Italian and international regulations on the use of lethal force.”
The community spokesperson, a former employee of the United Nations Development Program who brought the criminal complaint, said that “Musa Ala al-Tuni was a field commander in the armed forces of the GNA army and a member of al-Bayan al-Marsous, the division of the GNA army which fought alongside the United States to drive ISIS out of Sirte. The [Libyan] head of the Sirte operation said publicly that it was impossible for Musa to be associated in any way with terrorist organizations.” Madogaz Musa Abdullah’s younger brother, Nasser, was also a member of the GNA and had been a security officer for former Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani. Abdullah provided Reprieve with Nasser’s military identification card. “Most of the people with my brother in the car at the time were well known and respected as soldiers in the national Armed Forces,” he said in a sworn statement.
AFRICOM spokesperson Kelly Cahalan told The Intercept that “We are aware of the reports of civilian casualties from this strike. U.S. Africa Command followed the civilian casualty assessment process in place at the time and determined that the reports were unsubstantiated. The command’s assessment process draws from information from reliable and layered intelligence sources and classified operational reporting which are not available to the public. This can contribute to perceived discrepancies between the command’s results and those of others.”
An article in Avvenire also detailed the victims of the strikes and described the case being filed in Italy against the commanders responsible for the strikes. According to Avvenire, Al Qaeda “categorically denied” that the killed were members of Al Qaeda with a statement on December 5, 2018. “Seven of the killed – Musa Ala Tuni Mohammed, Ighias Akhreeb Aksasooni, Al Mahmoud Ayoub Ibrahim, Hassan Mohammed Abu Baker al Sagheer, Eyad Mohammad Ighali Mohammed in addition to Nasser Musa – moreover, as evidenced by the documents to which Avvenire had access to, they worked for the armed forces of the government of national agreement, an ally of the West in the fight against ISIS which at the time surrounded Libya. Another two, Ibrahim and Ahmed Umla Mohammed Fono, were training to enter it. Nasser Abdullah was a security guard of the then prime minister Abdullah al-Thani while Musa Mohammed, in 2016, had fought, along with the US, to expel the caliphate of Sirte. The last two that were killed – Ahmed Kober al-Khadeer and Jumma Akhreeb, were a teacher and an educator.”
“From the field surveys carried out, from the analysis of the documents, from the collection of testimony, we can say with certainty that they were eleven innocent people, shot while traveling in the desert in search of scrap vehicles to be resold” said Jennifer Gibson, lawyer for Reprieve. “They did it to feed their families: the prolonged conflict had blocked tourism, a source of livelihood for Tuareg communities” added Francesca Cancellaro, lawyer of the three NGOs.
Avvenire also provided information on the complaint filed in Italy: the complaints claim that the November raid started from the Sigonella base, normally used by AFRICOM as part of the anti-ISIS “Odyssey lightning” air campaign to free Sirte. “The day of the attack, Italmiradar, an organization that tracks air traffic, reported the flight going and returning of a Global Hawk drone from Sigonella towards the area where al-Awaynat is located. Testimony and analysis of the land would indicate, also, that the plane came from the north. The only other two US bases in the region – 101 N’Djamey and 201 Agadez, both in Niger, are south. “The first, in addition, is an hour farther away in respect to Sigonella and there is no evidence that it had been previously used for a raid in Libya. The second, instead, is closer but was equipped with drones only a year after” confirmed Gibson. If, effectively, the drone left from Sicily, the organizations accuse italy of participating in an illegal operation. In 2018, “Odyssey lightning” was over so the US was no longer directly involved in the Libyan conflict. Their actions, therefore, should be placed not in the context of the law of war but in that of human and criminal rights… The complaint wants to ascertain the responsibility of Italy, explained in the 2006 agreement on the use of the Sigonella base by the US, gives a guarantee role and related powers of intervention to prevent any wrongdoings of use.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Issa Mossa Ahmed Malik
25 years old male Student killed
Mossa Alah Toni Mohammed
34 years old male Soldier killed
Ibrahim Olma
32 years old male Soldier killed
Soti
45 years old male Soldier killed
Naser Mossa Waresmet Abdullah
34 years old male Soldier killed
Al-Mahmoud Ayoub Ibrahim
37 years old male Soldier killed
Hassan Mohammed Ibrahim al-Saghiar
30 years old male Soldier killed
Ahmed Kober Ahmed al-Khadir
28 years old male Soldier killed
Eyad Mohammad Aghali Mohammed
25 years old male Civilian killed
Jumma Agraib Shukri
Adult male killed
Ahmed Omla Mohammed Fono
30 years old male Soldier killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 11
  • (11 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces

Sources (31) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of the aftermath of the attack
  • A picture allegedly showing smoke rising in the desert after the attack
  • Another image of the scorched car (via Al Marsad)
  • Another image of the scorched car (via Al Marsad)
  • Another image of the scorched car (via Al Marsad)
  • Images showing the protest after the attack and the statement issued by the Tuareg
  • More images of the protests
  • Issa Mousi Ahmed Malik Taraki
  • Poster from the demonstration saying: "AFRICOM forces kill our sons under the so-called War on Terror" (via Libya's Channel)
  • Banner from the demonstration showing the names and ages of the victims (via Al Jazeera)
  • The Taureg community protests drone strikes by U.S. AFRICOM in the region while holding a banner showing the photographs of their community members killed in a November 2018 lethal strike. Photos: Courtesy of Reprieve

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Uwaynat (العوينات), for which the generic coordinates are: 25.772877, 10.558719. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 11
  • (11 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces

Sources (31) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC429

Incident date

May 25, 2022

Location

أبو سليم, Abo Salim, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.852987, 13.184588 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A mortar shell injured at least two civilians when it hit Omdurman, the Abu Salim area of Tripoli, Libya on May 25th 2022, according to local sources.

According to @KhaledDernah3, the injuries were of the “city team player”, Anwar Makhlouf, and his friend, Fathi Baira, who had minor injuries. Both were transferred to Al-Khadra Hospital for treatment for shrapnel wounds.

A Facebook post by Tripolistreets0 identified Anwar as having a shrapnel in his foot.

The source also said that the projectile was from a 23-caliber weapon.

There is no reference in any source which identifies the belligerent.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Anwar Makhlouf
Age unknown male injured
Fathi Baira
Age unknown male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Anwar Makhlouf, a football player, injured when a mortar hit him and his friend in Abo Salim, Tripoli on May 25th 2022 (Image via @salaaah62 / Twitter)
  • Fathi Baira, injured when a mortar hit him and his friend in Abo Salim, Tripoli on May 25th 2022 (Image via @salaaah62 / Twitter)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Omdurman (ام درمان) in the Abo Salim (أبو سليم) neighbourhood of Tripoli (طرابلس). The generic coordinates for Omdurman are: 32.852987, 13.184588. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC119

Incident date

April 19, 2019

Location

قصر بن غشير, Qasr Bin Gashir, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.688716, 13.173889 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child allegedly died from indiscriminate artillery shelling on Qasr Bin Gashir near Tripoli.

Mohamed Al Terhouni posted on Facebook: “Today my wife’s cousin, Radwan Milad Attiya, died because of a mortar shell. My wife’s brother and his cousin were slightly injured.”

Mohammed A Alhise said that the two injured were both cousin’s of Attiya.

Other sources provided similar information and posted pictures of the victim.

Local reports of shelling point at GNA or LNA as the perpetrator of the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Radwan Milad Attiya
Child male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
    Government of National Accord, Libyan National Army

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Photos os the victim and the incident
  • Another picture of the victim

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Qasr Bin Gashir (قصر بن غشير), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.688716, 13.173889. 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

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
    Government of National Accord, Libyan National Army

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC140

Incident date

May 14, 2019

Location

الملجأ, Almalja, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.68869, 13.174971 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to six civilians were reported killed by indiscriminate shelling on Qasr Bin Gashir, likely conducted by the GNA.

The General Command of the Libyan Armed Forces showed the image of an injured child.

Qasr Bin Gashir Official reported the death of Ahmed al-Mazougi.

Qalam Rasas said: “The death toll has risen to 6, including a woman, a baby and a 7-year-old girl. Rocket attacks on the militias of the Sarraj government targeted their homes in the area of Qasr Bin Ghashir south of the capital Tripoli.”

Almarsad published a more detailed summary of events: “The number of people killed in a rocket attack of GNA forces in the Qasr Bin Gashir area, has risen to six civilians, including infant and a seven-year-old girl from the Faraj Beshish family.

Residents of the neighborhood told them that at least three rockets landed on the densely populated “Al Malja neighborhood ” in the Qasr Bin Gashir municipality. Ahmed Fathi al-Hadi al-Mazouji and his mother, a eight-month pregnant woman, Hanan, and four others were injured. Including his brother and sister.

One of the rockets targeted the house of Hammadi al-Tarhouni, wounding a housewife called ‘Aisha’, an elderly woman who was seriously wounded. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and a fire broke out in the two houses. Faraj Bishish accompanied her pregnant mother as shown in this video clip just before inside the hospital.

In the same area, another missile hit cars parked in front of houses in the same neighborhood, causing the fire to erupt as people tried to control the fire.”

An on-the-ground investigation by Amnesty International later concluded: Fragments recovered at the scene confirm that heavy artillery projectiles were used in this attack. As even modern artillery has a circular error probable (CEP) of at least 100 meters at the weapon’s typically employed range, this weapon is not appropriate for use in dense urban environments. The site of the strike was over two kilometres behind the front line, and no military target was visible on satellite imagery of the time. Direct attacks targeting civilians may constitute war crimes.

The incident occured at 00:15:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed al-Mazougi
Child male killed
Ahmed Fathi al-Hadi al-Mazouji
Age unknown male injured
Aisha
Adult female Housewife injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Government of National Accord

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Ahmed al-Mazougi, supposedly killed in the incident
  • Another picture of Ahmed al-Mazougi and more photos from the aftermath of the attack
  • Pictures of the victims in the second tweet

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Almalja (الملجأ), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.68869, 13.174971. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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  • Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Almalja (الملجأ).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

Government of National Accord Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    Government of National Accord

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC100a

Incident date

January 16, 2019

Location

قصر بن غشير, Qasr Bin Gashir, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.688716, 13.173889 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Mahmoud Shalbik, a 23-year-old university student from Tripoli, was reportedly killed during armed clashes in the Libyan capital.

While most sources reported he was killed by stray bullet, UNSMIL said the “student at the University of Tripoli, Faculty of Economics, was killed at his home as result of incriminate shelling.”

Abdulrahman Ghummied stated on Twitter: “The young man “Mahmoud Shalbik” died because of a stray bullet and his friends survived driving to his house next to the bridge of Ben Ghashir.”

Local reports point at GNA-affiliated militia or the 7th Brigade as potential perpetrators of the shelling.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Mahmoud Shalbik
23 years old male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Government of National Accord, 7th Brigade

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Picture of the victim
  • Picture of a demonstration for the victim
  • Another picture of the demonstration for the victim
  • Another picture of the demonstration for the victim
  • Another picture of the demonstration for the victim

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Qasr Bin Gashir (قصر بن غشير), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.688716 13.173889. 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

7th Brigade Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    7th Brigade
  • 7th Brigade position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Government of National Accord, 7th Brigade

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC428

Incident date

May 14, 2022

Location

جنزور, Jamila Triangle, Janzour, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.823157, 12.986962 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Clashes at dawn on May 14th 2022 in the Jamila Triangle in the Janzour area, reported to be in the vicinity of the West Tripoli Electricity Station were reported to have caused civilian casualties, but reports differ in the number. However, according to another local source, the Municipal Council of Janzour did not mention any civilian casualties.

This ranges from “some civilians being injured” to “a family of five being killed” and “one dead and 5 wounded”. Therefore, between one to five people were reported killed, with up to five people reported injured.

A family of five were reported to have been killed when gunshots fell on a house near the Jamila Triangle in the Janzour area, Tripoli, in Libya. One source, Essa Essa, on Facebook, reported that the family were the Abu Shaiba family.

Another source commented that “some civilians were injured” and another local Facebook page, Libya Live, posted that “indiscriminate shooting [was] targeting the rooftops of houses in the Janzour area.”

@salaaah62 reported that the armed clashes were with “tanks.”

The clashes were reported to be between the militias of the 55th Infantry Brigade and the Knights of Janzour. There are other references to civilians being injured in these attacks, for example Al Ain reported that Janzour Media Centre confirmed that “many citizens passing from the coastal road were injured during the beginning of the attack” which started “at the gate of the West Tripoli Electricity Station.”

According to Al Arabiya, “the private clinics close to the clashes recorded the reception of one dead person and five wounded, with minor and moderate injuries.” It also reported that “no official data has been issued so far, neither from the Ministry of Health nor from the Prime Minister.”

Al Ain reported that the “violent clashes erupted at dawn” on May 14th 2022, “between the militias of the “55th Infantry Brigade” and “Forsan Janzour”, due to previous accumulations between the two sides, the most recent of which was the killing of Walid al-Qat, who belongs to the “55th Infantry Brigade”.

“The 55th Infantry” militia accused the Knights of Janzour of cooperating in the killing of Walid al-Qatt, after his arrest by the “Special Deterrence Force” militia, which caused the outbreak of violent clashes that led to deaths and injuries between the two parties, in the early hours of the morning. Al Ain reported that the attack was launched by the 55th Infantry.

The “Reporters” Facebook page posted that “this news came after a previous news story reported that an elderly woman had been killed in the same area, and the screaming woman was heard in the vicinity of the area. Our correspondent in the Janzour area reported that the people are appealing to the government to intervene quickly and asking the warring parties to open a saef corridor for them to get out of the areas of the clash..”

Al Ain also reported that Janzour Media Centre announced a power outage in several areas of Tripoli after the destruction of the power transmission towers, which were reportedly targeted by the 55th Infantry.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

Abu Shaima family

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • "A family of five died when an RPG bomber fell on a house near Jamila Triangle" on May 14th 2022 in Libya (Image via Libyansknoweachother / Facebook)
  • Al Ain reported that clashes between militias resulted in deaths and injuries on May 14th 2022 in Janzour, Tripoli (Image via Al-ain.com)
  • Al Ain reported that clashes between militias resulted in deaths and injuries on May 14th 2022 in Janzour, Tripoli (Image via Al-ain.com)
  • Al Ain reported that clashes between militias resulted in deaths and injuries on May 14th 2022 in Janzour, Tripoli (Image via Al-ain.com)
  • Al Arabiya reported that the private clinics close to where the militia clashes took place in Janzour, Tripoli recorded one dead person and five injured.
  • "The Municipal Council of Janzour: We condemn the attack on our city, and we are surprised that the official authorities have not communicated with us" (Image via Alsaaa24.com)
  • @MOHAMME_MAHJOUB reported clashes with tanks in Janzour resulting in deaths and injuries (Image via Twitter)
  • @MOHAMME_MAHJOUB reported clashes with tanks in Janzour resulting in deaths and injuries (Image via Twitter)
  • @MOHAMME_MAHJOUB reported clashes with tanks in Janzour resulting in deaths and injuries (Image via Twitter)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Janzour (جنزور) neighbourhood of Tripoli (طرابلس). The generic coordinates for Janzour are: 32.823157, 12.986962. Reports specifically mention clashes around the gate of the West Tripoli Power Station (محطة غرب طرابلس للكهرباء), for which the coordinates are: 32.820877, 12.973548. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Libyan rebel forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan rebel forces
  • Libyan rebel forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC120

Incident date

April 19, 2019

Location

مدرسة تحرير ليبيا, Tahrer School, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.688062, 13.178065 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was reportedly killed by indiscriminate artillery shelling on Qasr Bin Gashir.

Riyadh Burshan said that Teqwa Abu Bakr Awn died after a shell landed in Qasr Bin Gashir.

Libyan News said it was near the School of Liberation.

Other sources published similar reports.

According to local sources, GNA and LNA were fighting in the area.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Teqwa Abu Bakr Awn
Child male killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Government of National Accord, Libyan National Army

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the Tahrer School (مدرسة تحرير ليبيا) for which the generic coordinates are: 32.688062, 13.178065. 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

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Government of National Accord, Libyan National Army

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-111

Incident date

June 19, 2011

Location

بيت علي مخر الغراري, House of Ali Mukhar Al Gharari, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.881658, 13.291822 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (other) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between five and nine civilians were reported killed in a NATO airstrike on Tripoli. NATO later acknowledged likely causing civilian harm in the event.

Amnesty gave a detailed account of the incident in its Libya investigation: “On 19 June 2011 at about 1.30 am the home of Mukhtar al-Gharari, located in a densely built-up area of the Souq al-Juma’a district of Tripoli, was struck, killing five family members and injuring eight others. Those killed are Mukhtar al-Gharari’s 48-year-old son Faraj; his 38-year-old daughter Karima; her 44-year-old husband ‘Abdallah Nimr Shihab; and their two children, Jomana and Khaled, aged two years and seven months respectively.

“Surviving members of the family told Amnesty International that 18 family members were sleeping in the house at the time of the attack and that those who were killed had been sleeping on the upper floor. In a letter to the UN International Commission of Inquiry on Libya (ICIL) of 23 January 2012, NATO referred to the above incident and acknowledged the possibility that ‘an errant weapon had caused such casualties.'”

Human Rights Watch also published a detailed investigation: “At around 1:15 a.m. on June 19, 2011, a NATO air strike hit the three-story home of the al-Gherari family, in a residential neighborhood of Souk al-Juma, one of Tripoli’s larger districts. The attack killed five people, according to witnesses and family members interviewed by Human Rights Watch, who provided photographs of the victims, as well as one death certificate and three burial permissions. At least eight people were also wounded, the family said.

Human Rights Watch visited the site in August and December of 2011 and did not see any evidence of military activity such as weapons, ammunition, or communications equipment which might have indicated the building was a legitimate military target, although such evidence could have been removed. The family and neighbors all said that no Gaddafi forces were operating from the area at the time of the attack.”

The BBC reported that “Libya has accused Nato of killing at least five people in an airstrike that hit a house in the capital Tripoli.”

The Straits Times posted on Twitter: “Nato says it ‘regrets’ its 1st civilian casualties in Libya after botched airstrike that killed 9, including 2 toddlers.”

According to CBS News, “Libya’s government said NATO warplanes struck a residential neighborhood in the capital Sunday and killed nine civilians, including two children, adding to its accusations that the alliance is striking nonmilitary targets.”

A video piece by BBC Arabic later said nine civilians were killed and 18 injured. And Al Jamal reported members of a Syrian family had been killed.

In August 2011, NATO conceded that it had likely harmed civilians in the attack, noting that: “The Tarabulus SA-2 Support Facility was an active military storage and support site directly supporting regime forces in the region with military equipment as well as efforts to reconstitute air defence capabilities throughout Libya. It was struck on three separate occasions, targeting at least ten separate buildings and bunkers. During the 19 June target engagement in question, the targeted structures were positively identified and two precision-guided weapons were dropped.

“The second of these two weapons appears to have malfunctioned due to laser guidance problems, its impact was not observed and NATO was not able to determine where it in fact landed. After reviewing the case, it was concluded that it was possible that the errant weapon had caused such casualties. A public statement was made at the time by the OUP commander acknowledging this possibility and expressing regret for any casualties that may have resulted. This incident is under further assessment.”

Airwars later contacted Mohammed Al-Gharari for an investigation: “In desperation, he eventually traveled to Brussels, home to NATO headquarters. He paid a Belgian lawyer thousands of euros in a futile attempt to find out what the alliance knew about his family’s tragedy—including which nation had killed them. The money is long gone, but that information remains classified. Yet as Weighill noted, the nation that conducted the strike which killed Gharari’s family had internally admitted, almost immediately, that the operation ‘didn’t go well.'”

The incident occured between 1:15 am and 1:30 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (12)

Faraj al-Gharari
48 years old male Son of Mukhtar al-Gharari killed
Karima al-Gharari
38 years old female Daughter of Mukhtar al-Gharari
Abdallah Nimr Shihab
44 years old male Husband of Karima al-Gharari killed
Jomana
2 years old female Grandchild of Son of Mukhtar al-Gharari killed
Khaled
1 years old male Grandchild of Son of Mukhtar al-Gharari killed
Mohammed Ali Al Ghrari
35 years old male injured
Amer Ali Al Ghrari
37 years old male injured
Mohammed Salem Al Ghrari
Adult male Husband of Kareema injured
Fatima Ali Al Turki
0 years old female injured
Sou’ad Ali Al Ghrari
0 years old female injured
Latifa Al Hadi Al Habashi
45 years old female injured
Zaytouna Mouhtar Karkam
42 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    18
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • BBC Arabic report on the incident
  • Mukhtar al-Gharari shows his home that was allegedly destroyed by a NATO airstrike on une 19th, 2011 (via Amnesty International)
  • Home allegedly destroyed by a NATO airstrike on une 19th, 2011 (via Amnesty International)
  • Home allegedly destroyed by a NATO airstrike on une 19th, 2011 (via Amnesty International)
  • Home allegedly destroyed by a NATO airstrike on une 19th, 2011 (via Mustafa Al Fetouri)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the house of Ali Mukhar Al Gharari (علي مخر الغراري) being struck, within the neighbourhood of Souq Al Juma ( سوق الجمعة ), the exact location of which has been published by Human Rights Watch. The coordinates are: 32.881658, 13.291822.

  • Reports of the incident mention the house of Ali Mukhar Al Gharari (علي مخر الغراري) being struck, within the neighbourhood of Souq Al Juma ( سوق الجمعة ), the exact location of which has been published by Human Rights Watch.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

NATO forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    NATO forces
  • NATO forces position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    Other
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

NATO forces
  • Aug 3, 2011

  • The Tarabulus SA-2 Support Facility was an active military storage and support site directly supporting regime forces in the region with military equipment as well as efforts to reconstitute air defence capabilities throughout Libya. It was struck on three separate occasions, targeting at least ten separate buildings and bunkers. During the 19 June target engagement in question, the targeted structures were positively identified and two precision-guided weapons were dropped. The second of these two weapons appears to have malfunctioned due to laser guidance problems, its impact was not observed and NATO was not able to determine where it in fact landed. After reviewing the case, it was concluded that it was possible that the errant weapon had caused such casualties. A public statement was made at the time by the OUP commander acknowledging this possibility and expressing regret for any casualties that may have resulted. This incident is under further assessment.

Original strike reports

NATO forces
Official source

In the vicinity of Tripoli: 1 Military Vehicle Storage Facility, 2 Surface-To-Air Missile Guidance Radars.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 9
  • (2 children1 woman2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    18
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (26) [ collapse]