Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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

Incident Code

Lib2011-092

Incident date

May 13, 2011

Location

مرسى البريقة, Brega, Al Wahat, Libya

Geolocation

30.411123, 19.570076 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 11 and 16 civilians were reported killed in a NATO airstrike on Brega.

Both the BBC and the Washington Post said that eleven clerics were killed in the attack, while Reuters noted that “Nine imams were among 11 people killed in a strike on a guest house in the eastern city of Brega on Friday, the government said. The other two were buried elsewhere.”

Libyan State TV was reported to have declared that 16 civilians were killed in the attack. And the Express Tribune added that 50 people were allegedly wounded.

Al Jazeera wrote: “On Friday, a Libyan military source said that 16 people were killed and 30 wounded in the NATO raid on a guesthouse in Buraiqa, when at the time of the raid dozens of clerics came to attend a celebration. On Friday, Libyan state television showed scenes of nine bodies with several injuries.”

Reuters and The Express Tribune additionally quoted NATO officials commenting on the allegation: “Command and control bunker was struck in Brega early this (Friday) morning, as the structure was being used by the Qaddafi regime to coordinate strikes against the Libyan civilian population.

We are aware of allegations of civilian casualties in connection to this strike and although we cannot independently confirm the validity of the claim we regret any loss of life by innocent civilians when they occur.”

The Eg-11 Blog posted the following: “A spokesman for the Libyan revolutionaries, Ahmed Bani, denied, on Friday, that any civilian had been killed due to the bombing by NATO fighter jets in the city of Brega.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 16
  • (9–11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    50
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Brega (البريقة), for which the generic coordinates are: 30.411123, 19.570076. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

NATO forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    NATO forces
  • NATO forces 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

Civilian casualty statements

NATO forces
  • Mar 8, 2012
  • The Marsa El Brega Residence and Command Bunker Facility served as the primary C2 facility for forces fielded by the 32d Brigade in and around Brega. It was deliberately targeted and struck on 13 May. During engagement of the target, it was positively identified and four precision-guided munitions were dropped. The strike was highly effective, and decisively degraded command and control in the Brega area. Battle damage assessment indicated no collateral damage. After this strike, an engineer who had been involved in the design and construction of the command bunker facility publicly confirmed that it had been constructed for Col. Gaddafi and had been purpose built for command and control functions.

Original strike reports

NATO forces

In the vicinity of Brega: 2 Tanks.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 16
  • (9–11 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    50
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-047

Incident date

March 23, 2011

Location

كلية الهندسة العسكرية, College of Military Engineering, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.867559, 13.412167 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several civilians were reportedly killed in a NATO airstrike on Tajoura, east of Tripoli.

BBC Arabic said at the time: “Libyan officials early on Thursday took a group of journalists to a hospital in Tripoli to see what they said were 18 charred corpses of soldiers and civilians killed in coalition raids overnight. Western planes bombed a military base and areas east of the capital Tripoli for the fifth consecutive day of military operations. The Libyan news agency said earlier that the coalition aircraft targeted a residential neighborhood east of Tripoli, which caused ‘a large number of civilian deaths.'”

Arabic people reported: “A large number of Libyan and wounded civilians and paramedics targeted by Western coalition raids were seen in a residential neighbourhood of Tajoura district in the eastern suburb of Tripoli on Friday morning.

The bodies, which arrived at Tripoli Central Hospital, appeared charred; Some of the other bodies, which were torn apart as a result of the western raids, arrived, according to the official news agency (Auj).”

Arabic People added that the incident took place near the College for Military Engineering.

RT Arabic tweeted: “Libyan television: Civilians killed in raids by international forces on Libya.” In a video piece it also showed various bodies of alleged victims.

An article in The Telegraph later seemed to contest civilian casualties near Tajoura, likely referring to this incident: “Officials have been unable to identify areas where large numbers of civilians died, and admitted that the figure of 100 deaths included cadets at military academies, at least one of which on a base in Tajoura was said to have been struck.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 16
  • (2 children)
  • 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
    NATO forces
  • Suspected target
    NATO forces

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Video piece allegedly showing the aftermath and victims of the attack
  • Image of the alleged airstrike (via Arabic People)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention multiple strikes within the vicinity of the College of Military Engineering (كلية الهندسة العسكرية) located in the neighbourhood of Tajoura (تاجوراء). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the College of Military Engineering are: 32.867559, 13.412167.

NATO forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    NATO forces
  • NATO forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 16
  • (2 children)
  • 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
    NATO forces
  • Suspected target
    NATO forces

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-117

Incident date

June 25, 2011

Location

مرسى البريقة, Brega, Al Wahat, Libya

Geolocation

30.411123, 19.570076 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A NATO airstrike on Brega killed 15 civilians, according to Gaddafi regime television.

Sky News Australia wrote: “NATO strike in eastern Libya kills 15 – Libyan TV says a NATO air strike in the town of Brega has killed 15 people”.

Emirates247 provided a more detailed report: “Libyan state television said a Nato air strike on ‘civilian sites’ in the eastern town of Brega killed 15 people and wounded more than 20, a claim promptly denied by the alliance.

‘The colonialist crusader Atlantic coalition bombed civilian sites, among them a bakery and a restaurant in Brega, creating 15 martyrs and more than 20 wounded, among them regular clients of those places,’ the TV said.”

Other sources also referred to the state television as a source.

NATO itself reported hitting “2 Tanks, 1 Logistic Truck, 6 Technical Vehicles, 3 Military Shelters, 4 Military Compounds, 1 Antenna” near Brega on June 25 without mentioning civilian harm.

Independent monitors assessed that civilian casualty numbers provided by the Gaddafi regimed during the NATO campaign were hugely inflated or fabricated.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known target
    NATO forces

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Video showing the alleged victims of the strike
  • Another video report on the incident

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Brega (البريقة), for which the generic coordinates are: 30.411123, 19.570076. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

NATO forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    NATO forces
  • NATO forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

NATO forces

In the vicinity of Brega: 7 Command & Control Nodes, 1 Military Storage Facility, 14 Truck-Mounted Guns, 1 Tank, 2 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 3 Logistic Trucks, 7 Military Shelters.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • Civilians reported injured
    20
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    NATO forces
  • Known target
    NATO forces

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC110

Incident date

April 11, 2019

Location

السواني, Al Swani, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.712224, 13.072240 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and 12 civilians were allegedly killed by indiscriminate shelling on Al-Swani.

Tripoli Now reported: “Indiscriminate shelling of innocent people and their homes in Al-Swani axis, which led to the death of two families. Another family was injured and 12 civilians were killed so far.”

Libya Alahrar TV said one civilian was killed in Al-Swani due to shelling by Haftar (LNA) forces. In a video piece it showed the impact of the shelling.

Sputnik News blamed the GNA on the other hand: “Indiscriminate shells targeted civilian homes in the area of ​​Al-Swani southwest of Tripoli by armed forces of the Government of National Accord. The witnesses said that ‘the shells fired indiscriminately on civilian houses in Al-Swani areas in the vicinity resulted in the injury of many civilians.'”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 12
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–20
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    A man allegedly injured by the shelling (via Tripoli Now)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another man allegedly injured by the shelling (via Tripoli Now)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another man allegedly injured by the shelling (via Tripoli Now)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Another man allegedly injured by the shelling (via Tripoli Now)
  • Video showing the aftermath of the strike

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Swani (السواني), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.712224, 13.07224. 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 – 12
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–20
  • 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 (5) [ collapse]

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

LC072

Incident date

May 21, 2017

Location

الجفرة‎, Jufra, Libya

Geolocation

29.203056, 16.0025 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several local sources reported LNA strikes near Jufra air base. One source mentioned two killed GNA fighters.

Other sources claimed that 21 fighters belonging to a militia from Benghazi and the Chadian opposition got killed and 30 more got injured.

Marwan Dirgash reported that the airstrike led to “many civilian casualties” but didn’t give an exact number.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Jufra (الجفرة) air base. The coordinates for the Jufra air base are 29.203056, 16.0025.

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
    5 – 10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC035

Incident date

July 8, 2016

Location

عمارة شنيب, Shneib building, Derna, Libya

Geolocation

32.768776, 22.646323 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one and 10 civilians died and up to nine more were wounded in alleged LNA airstrikes on residential areas of Derna, local sources said.

Arabi 21 put the death toll at one, reporting that “a civilian was killed and eight wounded on Saturday in an air strike on a plane belonging to retired Brigadier General Khalifa Haftar on the eastern city of Derna. The Al-Karama operation carried out three air strikes on civilian sites in the city, one of which targeted the residential building of Shneib and ambulances transporting the wounded”.

Human Rights Watch also put the death toll at one – with nine more wounded.

However, Ean Libya put the death toll much higher, claiming “at least 10 civilians killed” in “four raids by the Al-Karama air force on residential neighbourhoods, resulting in serious damage to buildings”.

Bombings on that day took place from multiple aircraft near the police station square, the port area and the Shneib building according to the LNA itself – the latter where the civilians most likely were killed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–9
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Translation: Photos of the bombing of the aircraft of the criminal Haftar for a residential building, police station square and Derna port in the explosive barrel this morning resulted in 7 civilian casualties There is no power but from God (Source: Alrased journalist)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Schneib Building (عمارة شنيب) being struck, for which the exact coordinates are: 32.768776, 22.646323.

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 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    8–9
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-048

Incident date

March 23, 2011

Location

الزنتان, Zintan, Jabal al Gharbi, Libya

Geolocation

31.930396, 12.250838 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between six and ten civilians were killed and 26 more injured in air and artillery shelling by Gaddafi forces on Zintan, according to Al Jazeera.

The news outlet reported: “Six civilians were killed in a bombardment carried out today by the Gaddafi Brigades on the city of Zintan, and the bombing cut off electricity and communications completely from the city, while a British military commander announced the destruction of the Libyan air force.

The spokesman of the National Transitional Council in Libya, Abdel-Hafiz Ghouta, told a news conference in Benghazi that Gaddafi’s battalions continued to bombard the city of Zintan, which was controlled by the rebels and 90 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, pointing out that the indiscriminate shelling of the city yesterday killed 10 people and wounded 26 others.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    26
  • 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
    Gaddafi Forces
  • Suspected target
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Zintan (الزنتان), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.930396, 12.250838. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Gaddafi Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    6 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    26
  • 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
    Gaddafi Forces
  • Suspected target
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]