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

CI349

Incident date

November 24, 2016

Location

شارع الجزائر, Mosul, Algeria Street, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.350184, 43.167042 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single outlet, Iraqyoon News, cited local sources and reported on Facebook that four civil defence employees were killed by an alleged Coalition strike on Algeria Street in the east of Mosul.

In a January 2nd 2017 statement which may refer to this or the previous event, the Coalition noted: Nov. 24, 2016, near Mosul, Iraq: After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that no civilians were harmed in this strike.

A senior official later informed Airwars that the alleged incident had come to light as a result of internal reporting. Supplied co-ordinates showed the target was a house in Mosul’s al Karamah neighbourhood.

An ISIL video issued that day showed at least one house badly damaged, which may relate to this event.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ 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

For November 24th-25th, the Coalition reported “Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed three ISIL-held buildings, two mortar systems, two vehicles, a VBIED, an artillery system, and a weapons cache; damaged a supply route; and suppressed a mortar system.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI381

Incident date

December 30, 2016

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

An unnamed doctor at a local medical centre near Mosul told Iraqi Spring Media Centre that his facility had received 200 civilians over the preceding 24 hours, as a result of bombing and mortar shelling.

In related news, Kurdistan’s health minister told reporters that health facilities in the region had so far received 13,000 injured and sick people as a result of the assault on Mosul.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    200
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ 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 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 29th-30th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed 11 ISIL-held buildings, five supply caches, three tactical vehicles, two mortar systems, two fighting positions, two VBIEDs, a tunnel, an observation post, a research lab, a command and control node, an up-armored VBIED, two barges, and two artillery pieces; suppressed five mortar teams; and damaged 20 supply routes and two repeater towers.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    200
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI415

Incident date

January 12, 2017

Location

الموصل الجديدة, Mosul, Mosul al Jadida / New Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.316076, 43.099112 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that the international Coalition and/or US aircraft had carried out airstrikes in New Mosul neighborhood, West Mosul, leaving up to 30 civilians dead and 14 others wounded. The Coalition later confirmed killing eight civilians in Mosul that day.

Iraq News Center said that bombing by “international Coalition aircraft” had led to the death and wounding of civilians, including women and children. Raedlay spoke of a “US raid” and reported the same number of dead and injured.

Amsi News said that “so-called international coalition raids into residential neighborhoods in the area of New Mosul… caused the death of 21 civilians on the spot, and injuring 14 others, as well as great destruction of property and homes.”

Prevision posted a video of the aftermath in which a witness reported a total number of 30 bodies: “It’s a residential compound including four houses. Each one includes two floors which were completely destroyed by Coalition crusade airstrikes…we got out 14 bodies as yet, and there are 9 bodies still under rubble, and there are 4 women bodies and three children bodies in the house behind this compound…mostly kids and women.”

Alquds and Alwaght quoted Reuters saying that that the raids targeted the house of a senior ISIL leader, Abdul Qadir, who was not at home at the time of the bombing. However, several of his family members were reportedly killed. Alwaght spoke of “tens of civilians” massacred and blamed the Coalition.

An Amnesty International field investigation reported the following: “On 13 January at around 8.15am, explosions destroyed nine dwellings in al-Shuhada neighbourhood. “Kamel” and “Hashem”, two 26-year-old men from the area, described what they believe was a helicopter strike, which destroyed Kamel’s uncle’s house. They said the helicopter fired three times, with each rocket it launched destroying three single-room dwellings. Nine dwellings were destroyed in total.

“Hashem” described the attack as follows: “I was close by at my mother’s house. We were eating breakfast. At 8.15am and without warning the first rocket struck the homes, followed by two others. Each came from a different direction. It was all over in five or 10 minutes. After the last rocket landed we ran down to the scene. We were scared but we’re Arabs and if there are dead people we must go down to them. We dug the bodies out. We pulled them out of the rubble. They were torn apart. Heads and arms had been severed. The target was a well-known IS commander called Harbi Abdel Gadir. He was killed, along with almost everyone else in the homes: more than 40 people. All the women and children were killed. There were only three survivors, Mohamed, Asher and Salman. They were taken to an IS-run hospital.

According to the witnesses, this strike killed one IS target at a cost of 40 civilian lives. Based upon the information available, this attack should be investigated as a possible disproportionate attack.”

 

The incident occured at 08:15:00 local time.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 40
  • (3 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–21
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of some of the victims

Geolocation notes

The Amnesty report of the incident mentions the neighbourhood of Shuhada, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.316076, 43.099112. Other reports mention New Mosul, or the West of Mosul, which is where the Shuhada neighbourhood is located. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
  • Oct 27, 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 11th-12th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions, three ISIL-held buildings, two heavy machine guns, two mortar systems, a command and control node, a VBIED factory, a VBIED, an ISIL UAV, a supply cache, and an artillery system; and damaged 24 supply routes and an ISIL-held building.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 40
  • (3 children2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–21
  • 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 (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI449

Incident date

February 6, 2017

Location

Mosul, Al-Zinjili, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3502851, 43.1098795 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources said that between 20 and 42 civilians were killed, including women and children, and dozens injured after Coalition airstrikes and governmental forces targeted residential neighborhoods at the right side of Mosul.

While Iraq Amsi spoke of “about 20 civilians dead and wounded”, Iraqi Spring put the death toll much higher, at 42, and said “mostly women and children” were killed.

Bahzad Ahmed said on Facebook that the Coalition had targeted Daesh, “including prominent leaders”, between Zenjili and Al Thawra (Revolution) neighbourhoods.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20 – 42
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ 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
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 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 February 5th-6th 2017 the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, three strikes destroyed 23 ISIL-held buildings, an ISIL headquarters and a front-end loader; and damaged 14 supply routes and a tunnel.”

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
    20 – 42
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI484

Incident date

February 25, 2017

Location

Mosul, West / Right side, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336843, 43.117979 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources said that 27 civilians were killed, including women and children, and 63 were injured by Coalition airstrikes and artillery bombing on several neighborhoods at the right side of Mosul.

Sawif Ateka published a photograph of an unnamed little girl who it said died in shelling on the Al-Zinjili neighbourhood.

In its June casualty report, the Coalition confirmed that “During a strike on an ISIS VBIED, it was assessed that five civilians were unintentionally killed.” However the coordinates provided to Airwars – 36.324100, 43.127258 placed this event at Wadi Hajar (Arabic: وادي حجر) neighbourhood in Mosul. Given that this location is 4.6km from Rifai, and 3.3 from Zinjili, it may refer to a separate incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    63
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Picture of one of the supposed victims (via Sawif Ateka)
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
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF306246
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 2018
  • 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 February 24th-25th the Coalition publicly reported: “Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and an ISIS sniper unit; destroyed nine fighting positions, eight mortar systems, five ISIS-held buildings, four command and control nodes, three VBIED facilities, three tactical vehicles, two vehicles, two artillery systems, two anti-air artillery systems, a rocket-propelled grenade system, a UAV storage facility, a front-end loader, a VBIED staging area and a supply cache; damaged 12 supply routes and four ISIS-held buildings; and suppressed 22 mortars and an artillery system.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    27
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    63
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI516

Incident date

March 6, 2017

Location

حي الصمود, Mosul, Sumud, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336144, 43.137013 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local residents and press sources said that eleven civilians were killed and more than 40 people were still under the rubble after a Coalition airstrike targeted the Sumud Quarter near the main generator.

The Telegraph interviewed several witnesses, who reported:

“The planes waited until one of the Daesh walked out into the street and then they struck. The fighter was only injured, but 11 members of one family in the house next door were instantly killed.”

The colossal destruction bore out their claims. Samood is a hellish landscape. Every third house seems to either bear the scars of a fierce firefight or is completely levelled. Burned-out husks of cars and the rubble from razed houses block most of the neighbourhood’s streets.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 55
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (11) [ 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
  • Oct 27, 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 March 5th-March 6th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed 11 fighting positions, eight mortar systems, seven vehicles, four VBIEDs, three ISIS-held buildings, two medium machine guns, two command and control nodes, two roadblocks, a heavy machine gun, an artillery system, and an ISIS checkpoint; damaged 11 supply routes, eight vehicles, and two fuel tanker trucks; and suppressed 10 mortar teams and three ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 55
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI549

Incident date

March 17, 2017

Location

الميدان, Mosul, Medan, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.336461, 43.124456 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to local residents and the recently formed Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights, up to 80 civilians died when heavy airstrikes and shelling destroyed multiple houses in Meydan neighbourhood in Old Mosul.

According to Iraqi Spring Media Centre, 20 houses were destroyed. It spoke of “dozens of bodies” under the rubble. Activists and aid workers in Mosul had told the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights that “more than 40 civilians were killed during Friday and Saturday when used by Daesh as human shields and American planes bombed them.”

Iraq News said on Saturday that during the past 24 hours as many as 80 civilians died in West Mosul.

In its June 2017 Civilian Casualty Report, the US-led Coalition noted: “March 17, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via social media report: The report contained insufficient information on the time, location and details to assess its credibility.”

The incident occured around dusk.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    40 – 80
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention Meydan neighbourhood (حي الميدان) in Old Mosul. Open sources maps indicate Meydan neighbourhood (حي الميدان) is a small area in the North of the Old Mosul, at approximately: 36.336461, 43.124456

  • Maydan (المیدان) area in Old Mosul.

    Imagery:
    © 2018 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 evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Medan, Mosul, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 26, 2018
  • 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 16th-17th the Coalition reported: “Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 fighting positions, seven vehicles, a recoilless rifle, a heavy machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade system, an explosives factory, a supply cache, and an ISIS-held building; damaged 14 supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed 13 ISIS mortar teams.”

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
    40 – 80
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Iraq Government Forces

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI582

Incident date

March 26, 2017

Location

الرفاعي, Mosul, Rifai, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3558497, 43.0937862 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local residents and press sources said that seven civilians were killed and eight injured in unspecified airstrikes or mortar shelling by Iraqi forces on Rifai neighbourhood in the west of Mosul.

While Yaqein spoke of airstrikes, Iraqi Spring Media Center said the victims were caused by mortar shelling of Iraqi forces. Iraq News Center also blamed the Iraqi government.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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 (3) [ 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
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Rifai, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 28, 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. (1065)

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For March 26th-27th it stated: “Near Mosul, seven strikes, engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed six tunnels, three fighting positions, three vehicles, two mortar systems, a weapons storage facility, a front-end loader, a supply cache, and a heavy machine gun; damaged 17 supply routes; and suppressed six ISIS mortar teams and three ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • 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 (3) [ collapse]