US-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

US-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

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

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US-led Coalition
Country
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Incident Code

CI054

Incident date

March 28, 2015

Location

تل عفر, Tall Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.375659, 42.451536 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to an internal CENTCOM document, according to a self-reported night time incident involving an American aircraft may have caused civilian casualties: “US F-16 may have unintentionally struck the nearest collateral object (NCO) and unintentionally struck a car that moved into the FOV [field of view.]“

The outcome of any investigation at the time the document was collated (most likely early May 2015) was not known.

Local media did describe a car as being among the objects destroyed in Coalition raids on the day.

As of December 2017, the outcome of any assessment remained unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    a:1:{i:0;s:5:"other";}
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    Tal Afar Storage facility, Iraq
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • May 1, 2015

  • US F-16 may have unintentionally struck the nearest collateral object (NO) and may have unintentionally struck a car that moved into the FOV.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS064

Incident date

April 26, 2015

Location

متراس, Mitras, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

36.62906, 38.29076 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Reported Coalition airstrikes at 11 am on the village of Mitras killed three civilians, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.  These were identified as an adult male, a teenager and a child.

This event bears a resemblance to an April 19th incident at the same location (CS063) in that the victims are from the same family. The victims in this incident were the brother and nephew of the victim in incident CS063.

In July 2017 the Coalition classed the event as non credible on grounds of available evidence of civilian harm: “April 26, 2015, near Mitras, Syria, via Airwars report: 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.”

The incident occured at 11:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Hassan Ibrahim al Dimmo
40 years old male killed
Ibrahim Haasan al Dimmo
17 years old male Hassan's son killed

The victims were named as:

Amouna al Alewi al Hamadi
6 years old female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Hassan Al Ibrahim Al Dimmo, killed at Mitras on April 26 (via SN4HR)
  • Ibrahim Haasan Ibrahim al Dimmo, killed in reported Coalition strike April 26 (via SN4HR)
  • An image of Hassan al Dimmo's house before the shelling (via SN4HR)
  • An image of Hassan al Dimmo's house after the shelling (via SN4HR)
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
    a:1:{i:0;s:21:"insufficient_evidence";}
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Mitras, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 7, 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

A number of strikes were reported in the wider vicinity: “Near Kobani, four airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying five ISIL fighting positions and ISIL heavy machine gun.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (2 children1 man)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI076

Incident date

June 25, 2015

Location

Mahmoudiya, Kirkuk, Iraq

Geolocation

35.3936155, 43.9653113 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Although reporting was confused, there were claims of a fresh coalition airstrike in the vicinity of Hawija which killed a number of civilians.

A Facebook page calling itself Hawija Now said that five women and 2 children died in the nearby village of Mahmoudiya. One extremely graphic image appears to show a woman survivor of the event, clutching the body of a horrifically injured child.

Interviewing eyewitnesses who later fled to Mosul, Al Khaleej said that the alleged strike took place shortly before the end of the day’s Ramadan fast, and targeted an Islamic State headquarters at a location known as the Riyadh grain silo: “According to witnesses, who spoke to our correspondent, coalition aircraft had dropped leaflets on the region, on Wednesday, urging residents to get out and to stay away from the headquarters of IS and its gatherings,, because they will be vulnerable to bombing; prompting dozens of families to leave Hawija towards Mosul.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 7
  • (2 children5 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–13
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Image of a mother with her injured child (via Hawija Now)
  • Image of a cild allegedly injured in the attack (via Hawija Now)
  • Aftermath of the alleged strike (via Hawija Now)
  • Aftermath of the alleged strike (via Hawija Now)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mahmoudiya (المحمودية) in Hawija as well as the Hawija’s grain silos and the industrial area surrounding it. The generic coordinates for the village of Mahmoudiya (المحمودية) are: 35.3936155, 43.9653113. The coordinates of the Hawija grain silos are: 35.3216711, 43.7828113. On satellite imagery of March 2016 available to Airwars the grain silos and the industrial zone around them seem to be completely destroyed. Due to limited satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to further verify the date at which this destruction took place. 

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 Mahmoudiyah, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SME060171
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jul 26, 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
Official source

The coalition confirmed an airstrike in the near vicinity for June 25th-26th 2015: “Near Al Huwayjah, one airstrike struck an ISIL mortar firing position.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 7
  • (2 children5 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6–13
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS106

Incident date

July 25, 2015

Location

البوكمال, Abu Kamal, Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Geolocation

34.466049, 40.907593 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source, the Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies, reported that Ahmad al Awad had died in what was described as a Coalition strike at Bukamal.

While single source, a Coalition attack was confirmed in the vicinity in daily reports at the time.

In its civilian casualty report for October 2019 – published on December 5th of that year, the Coalition assessed this event as ‘not credible, asserting: “July 25, 2015, in Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2805/CS106 37SFU752155”.

Officials published a location for the event to within 100 metres of where they had remotely assessed the incident.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ahmad al Awad
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

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
    No Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    in Abu Kamal, Syria
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    37SFU752155
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Dec 5, 2019

  • July 25, 2015, in Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was assessed that no Coalition actions were conducted in the geographical area that corresponds to the report of civilian casualties. 2805/CS106 37SFU752155

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

No Coalition strikes were reported in the vicinity for July 24th-26th 2015.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition
  • Suspected target
    ISIS

Incident Code

CS123

Incident date

September 9, 2015

Location

الثورة‎, Al-Thawrah (Tabaqah), Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

35.8295049, 38.5360909 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to 20 adult civilians were reported killed and injured alongside 15 children after Coalition aircraft reportedly bombed forcibly-engaged civilians who were being forced to dig ditches by Islamic State. The children reportedly belonged to ISIL’s Cubs of Al Khilafa youth organisation. The casualties occurred in the morning at the village of Krin, west of Tabaqah, alongside an estimated 50 Daesh fighters.

Raqaa is Being Slaughtered Silently later published a report on the event: “The bombing resulted in the killing of a number of what the organisation (IS) refers to as “Cubs of the Caliphate”, in addition to more than 20 civilians who had been hired, at 2,500 Syrian pounds a day [c £13], to work on digging trenches. There were also a number of civilians who had been detained on various charges, such as smoking and failure to pray, and whose punishment was being made to dig trenches.”

SOHR placed the number of adults killed at 15, slightly lower than other sources.

There were later efforts to spread false propaganda about the strike, including images of events [GRAPHIC] which had taken place weeks earlier at Douma.

In their monthly civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of this civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    30 – 40
  • (15 children)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Islamic State banner reporting that more than 30 people were killed following alleged coalition raids on the village of Krin west of Tabaqah. It specifies that there were among the planes Apaches and drones. tweeted on 9th September 2015 by @journalist_omar [account now suspended]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Photo of victim of alleged coalition raids on the village of Krin west of Tabaqah. Tweeted on 9th September 2015 by @journalist_omar [account now suspended]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Photo of victim of alleged coalition raids on the village of Krin west of Tabaqah. Tweeted on 9th September 2015 by @algareeb333 [account now suspended]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Twitter account @HewarMaftuh described as 'open dialogue forum by US Central Command' reveals that photos published by pro ISIL accounts claiming to show victims of coalition raids on Tabaqah were in fact showing photos from Douma. 9th September 2015

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Open incident
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

The Coalition reported a single airstrike in the vicinity for September 8th-9th 2015: “Near Ar Raqqah, one airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit and an ISIL training camp and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL motorcycle.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    30 – 40
  • (15 children)
  • 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 (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI123

Incident date

October 16, 2015

Location

يت, Hit, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

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

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

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

US-led Coalition Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

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

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI146

Incident date

November 25, 2015

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

A high-ranking officer with the Iraq Army was the reported source for a highly contested claim – most likely Daesh propaganda – that French aircraft had bombed a school in Mosul, allegedly killing 28 pupils.

According to German news agency DPA, Brigadier-General Thanon Sabawi from the Second Division of the Iraqi Army claimed that “French aircraft today bombed Fatima Zahra Primary School in the eastern area of Mosul, in Zuhoor region, killing 28 pupils and wounding five others.”

The explosive claim led Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam to condemn France: “This French military operation that targeted innocent civilians, children, is a mark of shame on France. It is no less abhorrent than the way terrorist organisations target innocents.”

The Nineveh Reporters Network challenged the claimed attack, insisting that ‘there has been no Coalition strike in Mosul for the past three days.’ MNB also described the claim as Daesh propaganda, while an Iraqi official told Shafaaq there was “no truth as reported by some media about the killing of a number of pupils in an aerial bombardment of a primary school by French aircraft.”

France subsequently confirmed that its aircraft had carried out a 9.30pm airstrike near Mosul the evening before, on November 24th, telling Middle East Eye that “At 19:30 French time [21:30 local time] four Rafale fighter jets from an aircraft carrier stationed in the eastern Mediterranean, along with some US aircraft, dropped 20 bombs on an IS command centre“ at nearby Tal Afar.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    28
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (14) [ 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
Official source

For November 25th-26th 2015, the Coalition reported that “Near Mosul, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL checkpoint and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL building.”

Summary

  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    28
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI171

Incident date

December 30, 2015

Location

يت, Hit, Anbar, Iraq

Geolocation

33.642631, 42.8278537 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An alleged Coalition strike at Hit in Anbar resulted in the deaths of four named civilians.

Hit News reported that Coalition strikes hit the area around the Khaled Saadoun mosque and a nearby industrial district “resulting in the deaths of a number of innocent citizens.”

In the first of their March 2020 civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition assessed reports that they were responsible for civilian harm in this strike as “non-credible”, stating that after a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Saif Hassan Thabit Izz al-Din
Age unknown male killed
Hassan Thabit
Adult male Father of Saif Hassan Thabit Izz al-Din injured

The victims were named as:

Aues Fawzi Fathi
Age unknown male killed
Ahmed Nebras Haj Mohammed Al Ameri
Adult male Lawyer killed
Omar Ayed Jarjis Al Ameri
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Ahmed Nebras Haj Mohammed Al Ameri
  • Omar Ayed Jarjis Al Ameri

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
    Other
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKC966242
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Mar 25, 2020

  • Dec. 30, 2015, in Hit, Iraq, via Airwars report. After a review of all available records it was determined that, more likely than not, civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition action. 2875/CI171 38SKC966242

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

The Coalition reported that on December 29th-30th 2015, “Near Hit, one strike struck an ISIL VBIED storage facility.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (2–4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (5) [ collapse]