Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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

Incident Code

Lib2011-196

Incident date

October 3, 2011

Location

قصر أبو هادي, Qasr Abu Hadi, Sirte, Libya

Geolocation

31.059497, 16.658901 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One child was allegedly killed by a NATO airstrike on Qasr Abu Hadi.

Three different pages listing victim of the NATO intervention named Muhammad Khaled Al-Sayyid Al-Qahsi Al-Gaddafi as killed on October 3rd. A comment on the Al Gaddadifa page said he was “killed in front of his family’s eyes on 3/10/2011 at 3 o’clock because of NATO bombing and they weren’t able to bury him till 6 o’clock next day.”

NATO on that day reported no strikes around Sirte.

The incident occured at approximately 3:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Qasr Abu Hadi (قصر أبو هادي),  for which the generic coordinates are: 31.059497, 16.658901. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

NATO forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-096

Incident date

May 16, 2011

Location

باب العزيزية, Bab Al Azizia, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.871451, 13.172594 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On May 16th, 2011, NATO forced bombed Tripoli, including a hotel near the Bab al-Azizyah neighbourhood. Multiple sources reported the airstrikes, although it was unclear if there were civilian casualties.

Al Jazeera for example noted: “On Monday evening, NATO forces bombed civilian and military targets in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the nearby Qasr Bin Ghashir region, according to Libyan state television, while the rebels announced that they were planning to head towards the west of the country. Libyan State TV quoted a military source with news of the bombing, and saying that the strikes caused ‘material and human damage.'”

Abo Mohammad posted: “The Libyan regime TV reported that the city of Tripoli and the Qasr bin Ghashir area were bombed this evening, and reports from Al-Manara reported that three powerful explosions shook Bab Al-Aziziyah.”

NATO reported airstrikes “in Tripoli: 1 Command & Control Node, 1 Military Training Facility. In the vicinity of Tripoli: 1 Surface-To-Air Fire Control Radar, 2 Land Based Air Surveillance Radars”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Bab Al Azizia (باب العزيزية),  for which the generic coordinates are: 32.871451, 13.172594. 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 Tripoli: 1 Command & Control Node, 1 Military Training Facility. In the vicinity of Tripoli: 1
Surface-To-Air Fire Control Radar, 2 Land Based Air Surveillance Radars

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 targets
    Gaddafi forces, Other

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-139

Incident date

August 11, 2011

Location

تاورغاء‎, Tawergha, Misrata, Libya

Geolocation

32.053695, 15.048778 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between 24 and 74 civilians, including at least 2 women, in Tawergha were killed by shelling and rockets launched allegedly by the rebels and/or NATO as they advanced into the town after taking control of Misurata. Civilian homes were struck by shells and were killed and injured, eventually resulting in a massive exodus of the population. The shelling took place from August 10-12, 2011.

Mukhtar.altawaragi posted on Facebook that as many as 74 people were killed during the shelling and named Salah Ahmed Gaddafi, Muhammad Al-Hamali Musa, and Abdul Salam Saleh Laban as being killed.

Khal.eltawrghi posted a list of 24 names, including Abdullah Al-Zaidi, Abdulmutallab, Ameryhel Salem, Abdel Halim Suleiman, Muftah Qurallah, Ahmed Mustafa Gaddafi, Colonel Gomaa Mabrouk, Kamal Al-Hamali, Muammar Al-Toumi, Khaled Qurifa and his mother, the old woman Saliba, Saleh Al Shakshak and his family, Haji Ahmed Al Shakshak and his family, the Joubran family, Musa Al-Ajili, Sheikh Mabrouk Elyan, Ahmed Alyan, Alyan Milad, Mahmoud Sweilam, Ashour Salem, the teacher Juma Salihin, Ibn Thabet, the old man Awad and Muftah Harib.

Some homes were completely destroyed from the shelling, especially in the Al-Kosha neighborhood.

A Facebook post by Sabha 17th Feb identified Professor Saleh al-Shakshak and his family, including Abd al-Rahman al-Shakshak, as being killed by the bombing in Tawergha, which is composed of 7-8 people. Tawergha Local Council reported that one of the sons of Saleh al-Shakshak survived the attack.

A Facebook post by Tawrgha and 17th feb revolution identified the Gibran family as being killed inside of their house.

Jumaa Salihin Ali, a teacher, was identified by Why Taghoura as being killed in Tawergha.

Mabrouk Elyan, who is the imam of a mosque in Tawergha, was identified by Tawragha martyrs as being killed.

A video was posted by THE.SON.OF.TAWARGAH showing Kamal Al-Hamali, who was allegedly killed.

Airwars later spoke to one of the relatives of the victims: “‘130 men from Tawergha are missing ever since, and no one knows anything about them. They were taken by the rebels. My brother is one of them,’ Gabriel Farag, who also had to flee Tawergha, told Airwars. ‘These 130 men were arrested just for the mere fact that they are from Tawergha.'”

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

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Family members (1)

killed

Family members (1)

Family members (1)

Family members (1)

The victims were named as:

Adult male a teacher in education killed
Adult male imam of a mosque in Tawergha killed
Adult male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown male killed
Age unknown female killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown killed
Age unknown male carried his handicapped mother on his shoulders and ran with her killed
Atiqa Hadiri
Age unknown female at Gate 14, who was taken by zeal and fever, carried a Kalashnikov assault rifle defending Tawergha and was martyred killed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    24 – 74
  • (2 women1 man2–74 undetermined)
  • 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 targets
    Libyan rebel forces, NATO forces

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Jumaa Salihin Ali ... a teacher in education, the date of martyrdom 13/8/2011 in Tawergha
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Abdel Halim Suleiman Abu Sadeegh ... was killed while entering Tawergha
  • Mabrouk Elyan, who is the imam of a mosque in Tawergha, was killed.
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Sheikh Mabrouk Elyan, who was killed in Tawergha
  • son of the late Salih al-Shakshak that survived the attack on Tawergha on August 11, 2011
  • Images of TAWARGAH on August 11, 2011
  • Images of TAWARGAH on August 11, 2011

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Tawergha (تاورغاء‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.053695, 15.048778. 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 type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    24 – 74
  • (2 women1 man2–74 undetermined)
  • 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 targets
    Libyan rebel forces, NATO forces

Incident Code

Lib2011-064

Incident date

April 8, 2011

Location

مصراتة, Misurata, Libya

Geolocation

32.374457, 15.087794 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On April 8th, a 20 month old baby boy and his grandmother were injured during crossfire between Gaddafi forces and rebel forces in Misurata. Amnesty reported on the injuries.

Amnesty reports “‘Abderrabbo Fezzani, a 20-month-old baby boy, and his grandmother were injured when they were caught in the crossfire between al-Gaddafi forces and opposition fighters in the second week of April.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

Lib2011-218

Incident date

December 16, 2011

Location

طرابلس‎, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.886602, 13.190912 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and three others were injured in Tripoli on December 16, 2011 when their car was ambushed and attacked by nine people armed with Kalashnikov rifles. According to the UN Report Source Page 82, a survivor of the attack said that he was in a car with four friends when their car was blocked by a pick-up truck, a 4×4 vehicle, and a car and the assailants tried to steal their car but when they refused, they opened fire, killing one passenger and injuring two other passengers and the driver.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected target
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Tripoli (طرابلس‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.886602, 13.190912. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected target
    Libyan rebel forces

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LQ066

Incident date

May 18, 2018

Location

درنة, Derna, Libya

Geolocation

32.75591, 22.637772 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Various local sources reported joint airstrikes by the LNA and an unknown pro-LNA actor on Derna.

Alnabaa TV reported: “The correspondent added, Friday, that a random shell fell on the central district of the city, causing damage to buildings without causing civilian harm.”

Libya 24 TV reported that an ammunition store was destroyed in the strikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Libyan National Army

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown 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
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Unknown, Libyan National Army

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LQ043

Incident date

April 27, 2017

Location

بنغازي‎, Benghazi, Libya

Geolocation

32.136111, 20.078889 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Various sources reported about 18 airstrikes and artillery shelling near the Sabri and fish market areas of Benghazi. Some sources named the UAE as the belligerent, others the LNA.

There were no public reports of civilian harm at the time.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Libyan National Army, United Arab Emirates Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

United Arab Emirates Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    United Arab Emirates Military
  • United Arab Emirates Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attackers
    Libyan National Army, United Arab Emirates Military

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

LC205

Incident date

September 30, 2019

Location

عين زارة, Ain Zara, Tripoli, Libya

Geolocation

32.816556, 13.267525 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was allegedly killing by LNA artillery shelling on Ain Zara.

The Libya Observer reported: “One civilian person was killed and others were wounded as Khalifa Haftar’s forces shelled a residential area in Ain Zara in southern Tripoli on Sunday, the Volcano of Rage media office said.

Identical sources reported shells falling on Salah Al-Deen near the Customs Department office, causing damage to two houses.

The spokesman for the Anti-terrorism Force Abdelbasit Tika said Haftar’s forces are using mortars in most frontlines and that they had obtained Howitzers launcher and it was being used by Russian mercenaries.”

There is currently no more information available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Libyan National Army

Sources (1) [ collapse]