US-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Civilians in the ruins of Mosul city. (Maranie R. Staab)

Belligerent
US-led Coalition
Country
Iraq
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

CI338

Incident date

November 14, 2016

Location

تل عفر, Tall Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

35.97785, 42.57989 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Within 100m (via Coalition) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident previously unknown to Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the injury of one civilian near Tal Afar, Iraq.

Their March 2017 civilian casualty report noted: “Nov. 14, 2016, near Tal Afar, Iraq, via self-report: During a strike on an ISIS checkpoint it was assessed that one civilian was unintentionally injured when the vehicle he was driving approached the checkpoint just prior to the munition’s impact.”

The Coalition had previously announced in January 2017 that they were investigating a possible civilian casualty event at Tal Afar that had happened six weeks earlier.

In July 2019, the Coalition provided Airwars with coordinates for the event, accurate to within a 100 metre box.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Geolocation notes

Prior to the Coalition releasing the MGRS for this incident, Airwars had geolocated it to the nearest town at 36.375659, 42.451536

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition 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
    Entered target area just prior to or after munition released
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    1
  • Stated location
    near Tal Afar, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKE818842
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 4, 2017
  • Nov. 14, 2016, near Tal Afar, Iraq, via self-report: During a strike on an ISIS checkpoint it was assessed that one civilian was unintentionally injured when the vehicle he was driving approached the checkpoint just prior to the munition’s impact.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For November 13th-14th, the Coalition reported at the time that “Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed an ISIL-held repeater tower.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US-led Coalition

Incident Code

CI371

Incident date

December 13, 2016

Location

حي السكر, Mosul, Sukkar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3910949, 43.1676006 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to local sources, up to 17 people were killed as a result of airstrikes on their homes in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul. The bodies were pulled from the rubble on January 8th, 2017.

Airwars contacted the Canadian-based elder brother of the family, who provided 11 names, photos and ages of eleven victims. All of them were killed at 1.30pm in an airstrike on December 13th 2016.

Airwars later carried a detailed description of the event: Salam al Sultan, a Moslawi who now lives in Canada, told Airwars how eleven members of his family were killed in the early afternoon of December 13th by one such incident in east Mosul – after airstrikes tried to take out an ISIL sniper a few houses down. Their bodies could only be recovered from the rubble a month later.

Salam’s uncle, Ahmed Nather Mahmood, lived with his wife and two sons, Sehab and Amear and their families in al Sukur, a Mosul neighbourhood which has recently seen heavy fighting.

Sometime around 1 pm, a neighbour who had planned to flee the fighting arrived to see if the Mahmood family would leave with him. Fearful of the violence around them, Salam’s family had already packed to escape but told the neighbour to linger just a bit longer. He came to them and said let us leave. They said let us finish our lunch, and we will leave together, said Salam, speaking to Airwars by phone from Canada. The neighbour said no I’m leaving.

Minutes later, an airstrike obliterated the home. Salam, who had already lost one brother to an ISIS execution in 2015 and another to unknown assailants during violence in Mosul in 2008, now lost eleven more members of his family. They were going to leave… Hanan said even my luggage was ready; my bag was ready, he said, referring to a female cousin who survived the attack, but whose whereabouts are now unclear. They were just going to finish their lunch.

For a month the bodies of Salam’s uncle, aunt, his brothers and their dead children lay under the shattered remnants of their home. Only on January 14th were other family members and neighbours able to start retrieving their corpses. The stench was overpowering. Salam says his family was fearful of airstrikes but considered them more accurate prior to the operation to retake the city, and especially of late. The Iraqi government, he said, was behind schedule – and now moved quickly with massive firepower.

Only after the attack did those who survived to learn why the area may have been targeted: an ISIS sniper had apparently been spotted on a roof two houses down. If there is a sniper how come they don’t use a small machine gun from a plane, how come they have to use a big rocket to destroy three or four houses?

Hind Amir Ahmad, also a relative of the family, spoke with Amnesty International, who said the Coalition carried out the airstrike. She lost eleven relatives in the raids, including her parents, grandparents and four young siblings in the raids, said Amnesty International in a report. Hind had told Amnesty International that: “We were sleeping when the house literally collapsed on us. It was a miracle none of us was killed. We ran to my uncle’s house nearby. At about 2 pm that house too was bombed and collapsed on us… almost everyone in the house was killed – 11 people. My cousin, two aunts and I were the only ones who survived. Everyone else died. It took us six days to find only pieces of their bodies, which we buried in a mass grave in a field nearby… I don’t know why we were bombed. All I know is that I have lost everyone who was dearest to me.

The Coalition has requested additional details relating to this event.

The incident occured at 13:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

Ali Ameer Ahmed
Child male Via family member killed
Malak Ameer Ahmed
Child female Via family member killed
Muhand Ameer Ahmed
Child male Via family member killed
Athir Ameer Ahmed
Adult male Via family member killed
Ekhlas Jiyad Mohamed
Adult female Via family member killed
Ameer Ahmed Nather
Adult male Via family member killed
Ali Shihab Ahmed
Child male Via family member killed
Ahlam Shihab Ahmed
Child female Via family member killed
Shihab Ahmed Nather
Adult male Via family member killed
Badryiah Saeed Ali
Adult female Via family member killed
Ahmed Nather Mahmood
Adult male Via family member killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 17
  • (4–5 children1–2 women4 men)
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • A picture of Ali Shehab Ahmed, killed in alleged airstrikes targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Badryiah Saeed Ali, killed in alleged airstrikes targeted her house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Malak Amir Ahmed, killed in alleged airstrikes targeted her house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Athir Ameer Ahmed, killed in alleged airstrike targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Ameer Ahmed Nather, killed in alleged airstrike targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Ali Ameer Ahmed, killed in alleged airstrikes targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Shihab Ahmed Nather, killed in alleged airstrike targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Ahmed Nather Mahmood, killed in alleged airstrike targeted his house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • A picture of Ahlam Shihab Ahmed, killed in alleged airstrike her house in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (Via family member)
  • An image shows a destroyed house of Ahmed Nather Mahmood, where 11 family members died. Photograph courtesy of the family.
  • An image reveals the destruction following an alleged airstrike on houses in homes in the Sukkar (Sugar) district, Mosul (via newsofiraq3)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Sukkar (السكر) in the east of Mosul. The generic coordinates for this neighbourhood are: 36.3910949, 43.1676006. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • The neighbourhood of Sukkar (السكر) in the east of Mosul

    Imagery:
    © 2019 Google

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
    Insufficient information on the time and location
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Aug 4, 2017
  • The report contained insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For December 12th-13th, the Coalition reported “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed four ISIL vehicles, four mortar systems, four ISIL-held buildings, three rocket-propelled grenades, two VBIED facilities, two frontend loaders, a tunnel, a land bridge, and a supply cache; damaged 13 supply routes, a tunnel and bridge; and suppressed three ISIL tactical units.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 17
  • (4–5 children1–2 women4 men)
  • 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
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI405

Incident date

January 8, 2017

Location

حي السكر, Mosul, Sukkar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3910949, 43.1676006 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local reports indicated that shelling struck civilian homes in Sukkar, Talla and Mufthana neighborhoods in eastern Mosul, “resulting in the burying of dozens of civilians under the rubble,” according to an account in a report by Iraqi Spring Media Center.

Ajel el Mosul later released a video it said related to the incident, claiming that 17 civilians had died.

Among those reported killed was the Imam of Ansar mosque, Sheikh Jawad, who was said to have been killed by a mortar in Sukar neighbourhood, northeast of Mosul. Although most sources say the mortar fell on his house, one said he was killed in his mosque.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Sheikh Jawad
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Sheikh Jawad Imam (via Mosul Ateka Facebook)
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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    1 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF3558228855
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Sep 29, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 7th-8th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed five mortars, two supply caches, four fighting positions, a command and control node, a weapons cache, and a VBIED factory; suppressed three mortar teams; damaged 14 supply routes; and disabled a bridge.”

Unknown Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    17
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Unknown

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI438

Incident date

January 25, 2017

Location

Wadi Hajjar, Nineveh, Iraq

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were reportedly injured by ISF (or possibly Coalition) mortars according to eyewitness interviews by Amnesty International.

A previously unpublished assessment which Amnesty shared with Airwars reads as follows: “On 25 January an ISF mortar [Airwars note: presumed – but possibly US, see below] landed on their house in Wadi Hajjar and caused it to collapse. XX believes it was an ISF mortar as he saw a drone in the skies above the house five minutes before the explosion. The house was completely destroyed. The target was likely to have been the neighbouring house, which had been taken over by ISIS. ISIS had also taken over their house 20 days previously. They had had no choice in the matter and had mainly hidden in the basement since then.

XX’s mother – “I have a five year old son whose legs were broken (when the house collapsed due to the mortar strike).” It also opened a wound on her 17 year old daughter’s head. XX’s 17 year old wife suffered a shrapnel wound to her back.”

US forces used heavy mortars in support of ISF during the battle for West Mosul. However it is unclear on which date these began. A senior Coalition official told Airwars that “Mortar fire is not recorded as a strike so we do not have data to provide on specifically where and when they have been used. I spoke to the unit on the ground though, and due the positioning of Coalition forces to support the liberation of East Mosul and the limited range of the mortars, it is very doubtful they were fired prior to the initiation of the liberation of West Mosul.”

While it appears most likely this reported event was a result of ISF actions, it remains possible that it was a Coalition event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

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
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For January 24th-25th 2017, the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed four mortar systems, two vehicles, two weapons caches, an ISIL headquarters, an anti-air artillery system, a fighting position, a supply cache, a tunnel entrance, a VBIED, a VBIED facility, an ISIL guard post, an ISIL-held building, and an IED factory; damaged a supply route; and suppressed an ISIL mortar team.”

Iraq Government Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iraq Government Forces
  • Iraq Government Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI474

Incident date

February 21, 2017

Location

near Mosul, Iraq, Nineveh, Iraq

Airwars assessment

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, on June 2nd 2017 the Coalition said it had concluded an assessment on social media claims of civilian harm “near Mosul, Iraq”. According to the Coalition report, “10. Feb. 21, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via social media report: After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in this geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.”

The strike was assessed as non credible based on the claim that “no Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.” However, the Coalition reported multiple strikes in Mosul that day.

No additional details are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 2, 2017
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in this geographic area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For February 20th-21st the Coalition publicly noted: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 mortar systems, three ISIS headquarters, three ISIS-held buildings, two anti-air artillery systems, two tactical vehicles, two supply caches, a front-end loader, a fighting position, a weapons facility, a VBIED and an IED; damaged nine supply routes and suppressed 14 mortar teams and an ISIS tactical unit.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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

CI538

Incident date

March 13, 2017

Location

Mosul, Rujm Hadid, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34585235, 43.09857692 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In an incident not previously tracked by Airwars, on November 30th 2017 the Coalition said it had concluded an assessment of civilian harm claims “near Mosul, Iraq”. According to the Coalition report, “March 13, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via international organisation: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.”

No additional details are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

No coordinates were provided by the Coalition when they published their investigation into the civilian event, however, Rujm Hadid was mentioned. Using open source maps Airwars has found a possible location for Rujm Hadid near the sheep market in West Mosul: 36.3272, 43.0731

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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Nov 30, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 12th-13th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units, an ISIS staging area and an ISIS sniper team; destroyed 16 fighting positions, five VBIEDs, four mortar systems, two rocket-propelled grenade systems, two supply caches, two VBIED factories, and a vehicle; damaged 22 supply routes; and suppressed 14 ISIS mortar teams, two ISIS tactical units, and an ISIS sniper team.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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

CI572

Incident date

March 22, 2017

Location

اليرموك, Mosul, Yarmouk, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336804, 43.083396 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two named eyewitnesses told The Guardian that fifteen of their family members were buried under the rubble and died in front of them and that dozens were injured. This happened after several airstrikes reportedly struck three houses and other places in the Yarmouk neighborhood, in the west of Mosul.

Ali Assad (32) told the British newspaper that six of his relatives were still under the rubble of their house. “My father, I saw him die in front of me, my brother, two sisters and two cousins. My mother survived, but then she was hit by some other explosion and a concrete slab fell on her. She’s badly hurt.”

It was furthermore reported that “15 people remained buried under three homes in the Yarmouk area of Mosul after a series of airstrikes on 22 March.”

In January 2019, the Coalition announced that it had classed the event as non credible due to a lack of available evidence of civilian harm: “After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (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
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Stated location
    near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38S LF 277 231
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 31, 2019
  • Mar. 22, 2017, near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 21st-22nd the Coalition noted: “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 tunnels, 10 fighting positions, three mortar systems, a rocket-propelled grenade system, an artillery system, and a heavy machine gun; damaged 12 supply routes, three fighting positions, three tunnels, and a vehicle; and suppressed four ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • (2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI638

Incident date

April 14, 2017

Location

رأس الجادة, Mosul, Ras Al Jadda, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.34075, 43.126911 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two local sources reported that seven civilians from one family died when an airstrike or bombardment hit their house in Ras Al Jadda neighbourhood in the old part of Mosul.

The victims were named by MNN and Sawlf Ateka (local Facebook group) as: Wa’ed Ali Saleh al-Sharifi, his wife, sons Ali and Nashwan, his daughter Mayada, grandson Yousif Ali, and the wife of his eldest son Bassam. An unspecified number of other family members were injured.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Wa’ed Ali Saleh al-Sharifi
Adult male Father killed
Ali
Adult male Son killed
Nashwan
Adult male Son killed
Mayada
Adult female Daughter killed
Yousif Ali
Age unknown male Grandson killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (3 women3–4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Waed-Ali-Saleh-al-Sharifi died together with six family members when an airstrike hit their house in Old Mosul (via Sawlf Ateka Facebook page)
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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Ras al Jadda, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jan 25, 2018
  • After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For April 13th-14th the Coalition publicly reported: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed four fighting positions, a VBIED, a command-and-control node, a tunnel; and damaged five fighting positions, and four ISIS supply routes.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (3 women3–4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]