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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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
Official source

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

CS569 RS1963

Incident date

March 11, 2017

Location

مسكنة, Maskanah, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Geolocation

35.963172, 38.035655 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between eight and ten civilians died and up to 16 others were wounded in an airstrike on Maskana, according to local sources – though field reports were conflicted as to whether this was the work of the Coalition, the Syrian regime or Russia. The Coalition later denied involvement.

Syria News said that “According to activists, the international coalition bombed the neighborhood Rihaniyya in Maskana, resulting in eight martyrs and the presence of dozens of wounded under the rubble, including women and children”.

Qasioun also pointed towards the Coalition, putting the death toll at ten.

In a video for Al Jisr TV, a reporter says that Russia and the regime were to blame, putting the death toll at eight with 16 more injured.

The Step News Agency and Smart blamed Russia, while RFS Media said that the regime was responsible.

Maskana Halab reported that “eight displaced people including women and children killed as a result of an air raid targeting a house in al Rihaniya in Maskana” – though they didn’t indentify the culprit.

According to Syria News Desk – which attributed the event to Russia and the regime – “a civilian source from Maskana who declined to be identified said that the strikes destroyed at least five houses and two stores on the east side of the highway district Rihaniyya, in addition to the burning of two houses and two cars.”

On April 30th 2017 the Coalition said it had classed the event as ‘not credible’: “March 12, 2017, near Maskana, Syria, via social media report: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (0–2 children0–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    14–16
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Translation: martyrs and wounded under the rubble following an air raid targeting Maskana in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
  • Title: the international coalition commits a massacre in maskana in the eastern Aleppo countryside and the Russians intensify their raids in the western countryside. (note: the reporter says it was Russia and regime)
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 Maskana, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Apr 30, 2017

  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

The Coalition has not publicly reported any strikes in Aleppo governorate between March 11th-13th.

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military
Official source

Russia has not reported any strikes between March 1st – 31st 2017.

Syrian Regime Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Syrian Regime
  • Syrian Regime position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8 – 10
  • (0–2 children0–2 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    14–16
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Suspected attackers
    US-led Coalition, Russian Military, Syrian Regime

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI551

Incident date

March 17, 2017

Location

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

Geolocation

36.3323266, 43.1050515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Coalition admitted responsibility for the deaths of  between 105 and 141 civilians in an airstrike on a house in West Mosul’s al Jadida area on March 17th (event CI550).

However, locals have claimed that as many as 230 or even 520 civilians were killed in the catastrophic event at al Jadida – though these higher numbers may conflate a series of events over a number of days of violence in the neighbourhood. To reflect these numbers and the confusion in reporting, Airwars has created this additional event at al Jadida, which has been graded ‘Contested’.

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

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    125 – 370
  • Civilians reported injured
    25
  • 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

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

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    125 – 370
  • Civilians reported injured
    25
  • 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

Incident Code

CS601

Incident date

March 21, 2017

Location

الجديدة, Al Jadida, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Airwars assessment

Al Raqqa Truth reported the death of four civilians in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the village of Jadida. It named the victims.

No additional details are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

The child Wa’ed Jassem Al Mo
Child killed
Bayan al Hassan al Farman
Age unknown female killed
Jalila al Hassan al Hamoud al Zeid
Age unknown female killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The aftermath of the alleged Coalition raid on Al Jadida, 21st March 2017. (via Al Raqqa truth)
  • The aftermath of the alleged Coalition raid on Al Jadida, 21st March 2017. (via Al Raqqa truth)

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 March 21st-22nd: the Coalition stated: “Near Ar Raqqah, 18 strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed four command and control nodes, three tanker trucks, three ISIS-held buildings, an oil storage tank, a VBIED, an ISIS headquarters, a fighting position, and an ISIS media facility; and damaged four supply routes.”

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • On Mar. 21 #CJTFOIR conducted 29 strikes consisting of 60 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria & Iraq. MORE: http://ow.ly/O0uF30a9gt8 (via CJTFOIR)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child2 women)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI578

Incident date

March 26, 2017

Location

الموصل: الزنجيلي, Mosul, Al-Zinjili, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.350932, 43.111449 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A single source said that many women were killed or injured after a Coalition helicopter struck a flour shop where they were working at the time. This took place in Zanjili neighborhood in the west of Mosul.

See also incident CI581.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ 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 Al Zinjili, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SLF308246
    Military Grid Reference System

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 civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For March 25th-26th the Coalition publicly noted: ” Near Mosul, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, four mortar positions, two tactical vehicles, a supply cache, and a sniper weapon system; damaged 11 supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed two ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI592

Incident date

March 30, 2017

Location

الاقتصاديين, Mosul, Iqtishadeen, Nineveh, Iraq

Airwars assessment

A schoolboy named as Hassan Ali al-Hamdouni was reported killed in an airstrike near Awaleen mosque in Iktisadeen (Economists) neighborhood, in West Mosul.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Hassan Ali al-Hamdouni
Child male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Images of the alleged victim
  • Another image of the alleged victim
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
  • Nov 30, 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
Official source

For March 29th-30th the Coalition publicly stated: “Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS staging area; destroyed two command and control nodes, two mortar systems, a fighting position, and a UAV facility; damaged 19 supply routes; and suppressed 10 ISIS mortar teams and seven ISIS tactical units.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CI607

Incident date

April 4, 2017

Location

تل عفر, Tall Afar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that twenty civilians were killed and six injured, among them many children, at Tal Afar west of Mosul. All claimed that the US or the Coalition was responsible, although Iraq Air Force aircraft had also struck the town.

Iraqi Spring Media Center posted several graphic photos, picturing the aftermath of the strikes and body parts, including that of a young child.

The area had seen heavy fighting between Iraqi security forces and ISIL, and the Coalition confirmed a strike in the vicinity on the day in question.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Images of the aftermath of the incident
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 the near Tal Afar, Iraq
    Nearest population center
  • Location accuracy
    100 m
  • MGRS coordinate
    38SKF710290
    Military Grid Reference System

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Feb 22, 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
Official source

For April 3rd-4th the Coalition publicly reported no strikes at Tal Afar though did cite other attacks elsewhere in Nineveh: “Near Mosul, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and an ISIS machine gun team; destroyed five fighting positions, two VBIED factories, a weapons facility, and an anti-air artillery system; damaged three supply routes and three fighting positions; and suppressed four ISIS mortar teams, two ISIS tactical units, and an ISIS artillery team.”

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    20
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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]

Incident Code

CS679

Incident date

April 9, 2017

Location

مزرعة تشرين, Tishreen farm, Ar Raqqah, Syria

Geolocation

36.132398, 38.869372 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported the death of two families in an alleged Coalition airstrike on the Tishreen Farms area.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, four non-combatants including a woman and her child died at the hands of the Coalition. Other sources put the number of dead at six, again pointing to Coalition warplanes while BNN put the death toll at at least ten, with dozens more wounded.

Q_Alenzy reported the death of two families when the home of Khaled Al-Latif was bombed.

The Coalition denied casualties in its June 2017 report, noting: ”26. April 10, 2017, near Tashrin, Syria, via social media: No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 2 km away.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 10
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • News bulletin reporting on the alleged Coalition airstrike on Tishreen farm, 9th April 2017. (via JisirTV)
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 Tashrin, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Jun 2, 2017

  • No Coalition strikes were conducted on that day in the geographic area of the reported civilian casualties. The closest strike to the report of possible civilian casualties was 2 km away.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition
Official source

For April 9th-10th: the Coalition did not report any strikes near Raqqa, though did note that “Near Tabqah, 14 strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed five vehicles, two fighting positions, and a VBIED; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.“

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

  • April 9, #CJTFOIR conducted 27 strikes consisting of 89 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria & Iraq (via CJTFOIR)

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 10
  • (1 child1 woman)
  • 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 attacker
    US-led Coalition

Sources (20) [ collapse]