The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress, released yesterday, on civilian deaths and injuries resulting from US military actions in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and Syria has declared responsibility for 12 deaths and five injuries in 2021. All 12 deaths conceded were in Afghanistan; injuries were reported resulting from actions in both Somalia and Afghanistan.
While these mostly align with public reports on Afghanistan and Somalia – the lack of any incidents for Syria are of serious concern. Airwars has documented at least 17 incidents in which harm to civilians occurred as a result of US actions; this includes 15 civilian deaths, and 17 injuries.
Alongside reports of casualties in 2021, included in the annual report are additional cases from past actions under Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) – the operation to defeat ISIS. In these cases too, conceded casualty reports are significantly lower than local reporting suggests.
These casualty releases have been much anticipated this year, as the Department of Defense worked on its new Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action plan, published earlier this month. Towards the end of last year, reporting from Azmat Khan at the New York Times drew renewed attention in international media to the range of issues around how civilian casualties were assessed by the US in Iraq and Syria, prompting the review by US officials.
However the US’ military actions and its track record on civilian casualties have long been the subject of criticism, with calls for accountability and greater transparency on civilian harm mitigation and tracking throughout the so-called ‘forever wars’. In last year’s annual report, Airwars and others raised serious concerns with the 2020 annual casualty admissions – noting that reporting from other sources placed the civilian death toll at five times higher than the numbers admitted by the DoD.
OIR
In its 2021 report, the Department of Defense conceded no deaths or injuries in either Iraq or Syria for 2021. The report states that there were six cases of civilian harm received by OIR in 2021; 3 of which have been assessed as non-credible, while the other three are still open.
These rejected civilian harm claims likely correspond to incidents mentioned in previous press releases by OIR, which account for at least one civilian fatality and two injuries. The civilian fatality assessed as ‘non-credible’ was claimed by local sources to be a 7-year old boy, killed while US forces were reportedly conducting a training exercise.
It is unclear if the remaining open cases mentioned in the annual report include the two cases previously noted as open by CENTCOM earlier this year.
Airwars own research indicates that there were at least 15 additional cases alleging harm resulting from US actions carried out in Syria throughout 2021. US military actions in Syria in 2021 primarily included support to local ally the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in north eastern Syria – where civilian harm was often reported during targeted operations on suspected ISIS militants.
In one such incident, typical of the types of allegations recorded last year – a man and his son were allegedly killed in a raid carried out by the SDF with air support from the US military while they were said to be grazing their sheep. Local sources reported that the incident sparked “a wave of panic” among the civilians in the neighbourhood.
Our full incident archive can be found here.
Baghouz, Syria – the last ISIS stronghold
This year’s report contained three cases of previous harm allegations in Baghouz in 2019 – including the controversial March 18th 2019 strike which was the subject of an extensive investigation by the New York Times released at the end of last year, and prompted an internal investigation at the directive of the Secretary of Defense.
In the final major battle in the war against ISIS, the US-led Coalition carried out an intensive campaign to recapture the last ISIS territorial stronghold. Mass civilian casualty incidents were reported at the time – by the end of the campaign in March, reports of hundreds of casualties were being circulated online, including disturbing footage of mass graves and charred bodies. The New York Times revealed that one of the final strikes by the US-led Coalition included a 2000-pound bomb, dropped on a crowded area.
The 2021 annual report continues a pattern observed consistently by casualty recorders of significant discrepancies between conceded casualties and local allegations throughout this campaign; more so even than in other – more contested – battlegrounds, such as the Battle of Mosul.
In total – the US has conceded just 3% of even the most conservative estimates of civilian harm reported during the Battle of Deir Ezzor; compared with over a third of casualties alleged in the Battle of Mosul, for example.
Airwars puts the minimum likely estimate of deaths during this campaign at 695, while the US admits to less than 30 – including those now conceded in the annual report.
The incidents
Notably, this is the first time that the March 18th incident has been officially confirmed in public reporting by DoD – the incident was rejected previously as ‘non-credible’ twice by OIR; with an assessment reopened only after widespread media attention on the case at the end of last year.
Local sources have alleged at least 160 civilian fatalities resulted from the strike, including up to 45 children. In May this year, General Garrett – the four-star general put in charge of leading an investigation into the case – rejected almost all allegations of wrong-doing by US military forces during the operation. His investigation, which was kept classified apart from the Executive Summary, concluded that nearly all those killed were combatants.
In another of the incidents included in the report, from February 2019, we were able to identify at least three possible matches to incidents in our archive (here, here and here). While no civilian deaths were conceded by the US, local reports indicate that in one incident alone at least 50 civilians were said to have been killed.
One of the conceded events also matches a confirmed incident published in a press release earlier this year – an airstrike on March 13th 2019; nearly all sources reported that those killed in this strike had been women and children living in a camp in Baghouz. Fatality estimates ranged from 20 to 100 civilians, while the US admitted to four civilian deaths.
Afghanistan
The US withdrew officially from Afghanistan in September 2021. There were 10 reports of civilian casualties from combat operations in Afghanistan, 4 of which were deemed credible – the DoD conceded the deaths of 12 civilians, and the injuries of 2 civilians. 10 of the civilians who died all died in the same incident on August 29, 2021 in Kabul – this likely refers to the botched drone strike on an aid worker in Kabul, which the DoD later admitted was a ‘tragic mistake’.
UNAMA, which monitors civilian casualties in Afghanistan, raised the alarm over increasing civilian casualties in Afghanistan as the situation deteriorated. However, it appears that these incidents had not been attributed by UNAMA to the US at the time of their latest report published in June last year, which contained no casualty incidents resulting from international military actions in 2021 – though notably some incidents were still under review at the time of publication.
Somalia
The US also maintains an active military presence in Somalia, recently bolstered by Biden’s decision to redeploy US troops in Somalia in May of this year. The report did not state a total number of cases in 2021 that it had investigated, but reported on one incident that had previously been conceded by AFRICOM.
Despite an initial assessment by AFRICOM that no civilians had been harmed in the strike, which took place in January 2021, in its first quarterly report last year AFRICOM admitted that three civilians had been ‘inadvertently injured’ when US forces conducted an air strike on what was reported to be an al-Shabaab radio station.
The US has carried out at least 254 raids or airstrikes in Somalia since 2007, and has acknowledged five civilian deaths throughout this period. Airwars own research puts this total number at minimum 78 fatalities.
While the 2021 figure aligns with public reporting, it should be noted that there are significant challenges with harm documentation in Somalia given the security environment.
DoD acknowledges “inconsistent” civilian harm investigation process
This year’s annual report references the recently released Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) in part to explain any potential discrepancies between DoD admissions and public reporting. The annual report acknowledges that “specific processes for reviewing or investigating incidents have varied over the years”, while the CHMR-AP explicitly noted that practices for conducting assessments and investigations had been “applied inconsistently across DoD”.
The comprehensive action plan is intended to address such inconsistencies; though for those civilians who have had their cases rejected as non-credible, or for those who have never had their cases investigated at all – the promise of review and reform is likely too late.
According to Airwars’ archive, the possible death toll from the US-led Coalition’s actions in the war against ISIS alone could be at least 8,192 and as many as 13,247 civilians killed. OIR in total has acknowledged killing approximately 1500 civilians – though notably, many individual member states have yet to accept responsibility for their own efforts. The UK MoD, for example, has yet to admit more than one civilian was killed by its actions in the entire campaign.
Geolocation
Additional Geolocations
Airwars assessment
On September 28th, 2022, at around 10:30 am, dozens of Iranian missiles and drone strikes reportedly killed between 13 to 14 people, according to official fatality estimates, though some local media estimated that it could be up to 18. Between 58 to 62 others were injured. The strikes were conducted in a number of areas including Koysanjaq/Koya/Koy Sanjaq district, Bardi area and Prde area (Erbil governorate), Zargwez area/ Zarkwezela/ Zargwezalla residential complex (Sulaymaniyah governorate), Sherawa area, and Altun Kupri/Altun Kubri district in Kirkuk governorate.
While the exact number of civilians harmed remains unclear, local sources indicated that at least 13 across all locations were killed, including a pregnant woman, her one-day old infant, alonside at least one child, while at least another 58 were injured – including three journalists and likely a number of children.
Airwars decided not to split out these incidents into several assessments as it was not possible to clearly distinguish the casualties between the areas targeted. It remains unclear whether some locations hit by Iranian strikes were military training camps or if only civilian buildings were struck. Moreover, at the time of the strikes, sources were conflicted as to whether or not members of the parties were actively engaging in military activities.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the strikes. The Washington Post said “the headquarters of three Iranian Kurdish opposition parties who support the ongoing demonstrations inside Iran” were targeted by Iranian strikes: the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) “in the Koya district, the Kurdish Komala Party in the village of Zarkwezela, in Sulaymaniyah province, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) in Kirkuk province.” KDPI, PAK, and Komala were described by local sources as Iranian left-wing opposition parties with armed wings banned in Iran, and exiled in Northern Iraq. The New York Times, quoting the UN, added that the attacks hit “Iranian refugee settlements” and sources observed that a primary school inside a camp was also targeted. The Kurdish Ministry of Health recorded difficulties for the ambulances to reach remote mountainous areas hit.
A number of Komala militants were reportedly “lightly injured”. According to Human Rights Watch, IRGC said it targeted “the offices of Iranian opposition parties, referring to the targets as “terrorist bases.” However, “residents and witnesses told Human Rights Watch that some of the attacks struck towns and villages where the opposition parties were not conducting any military activity.” The NGO added that they “could not verify whether sites hit in mountainous regions that host military training activities by the opposition parties targeted, as Iranian authorities claimed.” Rudaw claimed that the sites targeted were “not military, but completely civilian”. The Washington Post reported that KDPI confirmed the deaths of two of its members”, while PAK also counted 2 of its members killed and a number of others injured. The UNHCR noted a “number of civilian casualties and injuries, including Iranian refugees – including women and children”, while ANF News stated that those injured were mostly civilians. “According to the South Kurdistan anti-terrorist services, 13 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in the attacks, and 58 people, mostly civilians, were injured.” Local sources also recorded a number of militants killed or injured as well as soldiers injured.
At least 70 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones, launched from Iranian territory were reportedly used by IRGC according to Iraqi and Kurdish official sources. France 24, quoting Iraqi officials, said that Iran “carried out “twenty drones carrying explosive materials”. Rudaw added that “Iranian state media reported the use of Fath 360 missiles in the attack” as well as “Shahed-136 suicide drones”
KOYA – (ERBIL)
In Koya, KPDI headquarters were reportedly targeted. Tariq Haidari, mayor of the Iraqi Kurdish city of Koya, told Reuters that “two people including a pregnant woman were killed and 12 wounded. Some of the wounded were rushed in critical condition to hospital in Erbil” . He added that Iranian drones targeted “a military camp, homes, offices and other areas around Koya”. UNHCR Iraq noted that strikes also hit an Iranian Kurdish refugee camp located in Koya district. According to a UNHCR official, “The attack caused damage to an elementary school where refugee students were present”.According to HRW quoting UNICEF, “the attacks in Koya struck a school in a refugee settlement, injuring two children and killing a pregnant woman.
-The pregnant woman was either identified as “Reyhane (Shima) Kanaani” “Rehana Kanaani”, “Shema”, “Jenin Rehan Kanaani “, “Reyhaneh Kanaani” or “Rihana Kan’ani”. She was said to be from Mariwan city. Sources reported that she was severely injured in front of a house by a rocket in Koya district and later died in a local hospital. @ShukriyaBradost Twitter account identified her as “Iranian Kurd”. Rudaw said she was 31 years old and engaged when she was killed. She was a KDPI member, as well as her husband, identified as Zanyar Rahmani, who was working as a peshmerga / KDPI militant. He told Rudaw :”the Revolutionary Guards sent me a message two minutes before the bombing, they said if you do not leave these parties, we will not leave your family”, and that following the bombing, he could not hear well. Rudaw reported that “after Rehana was transferred to the hospital in Koysanjak, the doctors were forced, as a result of her unstable health, to subject her to an early delivery operation to save her fetus. Rihana’s son was born and was named, at her request, as (Wanyar/Waniar ). Rihana died as a result of her severe injury, while Wanyar remained under intensive care, fighting a life-and-death struggle for a day and a half.” Rudaw reported that the infant died at 7 pm the next day. Rehana Kanaani’s death was acknowledged by the Mayor of Koya. A local source reported that the doctor supervising Wanyar’s health explained that the child suffers from lung problems that prevent the oxygen from reaching his brain sufficiently. Similar details were recorded by HRW, who explained that the victim “suffered injuries to the back of her hand and internal bleeding”, and also interviewed the victim’s husband : “Our home is one and half kilometers away from the party headquarters,” said Zanyar Rahmani, Kanaani’s husband, who works at the KDPI offices that were attacked. “[We live] in a camp for refugees, mostly women and children live there. The area where my wife and I live is not a military place, it is residential for civilians. Waniar suffered brain damage and also died. “My son was healthy [before the attack], until that moment all the sonograms showed he was healthy,” Rahmani said.” An alleged picture of Wanyar’s body carried by his father was published on social media, with the comment “The hardest moment in life is to carry your son’s body without a soul 😔- Wanyar Rahini, who was martyred in an Iranian raid on his father’s arms”.
HRW also interviewed a police officer without political affiliation, who stated that he saw children and security guards injured by the attacks. According to HRW, “the police officer said that the party offices are in a residential area where many Iranian refugees live. “We have never seen them doing any military activities in the headquarters because it’s located in a residential area,” the police officer said. “I am aware they have some military activities, but in the mountains, not in the cities.” Another resident of Koya who has no affiliation with the political parties targeted told Human Rights Watch the offices targeted are political offices only and do not host military activities.””
-@KhaderTai claimed that an American civilian was also killed during Iranian strikes on Koya, and shared an alleged screenshot of his American passport, describing him as Omer Mahmoudzadeh (Omar Mahmoudzadeh), 59 years old. @ElizHagedorn claimed that Omar Mahmoudzadeh, was “Iran-born” and “left the United States for Iraq in 2019 to join KDPI. Mahmoudzadeh’s wife and daughter in Virginia learned about his death via social media, and received a call from the State Department confirming early this morning. Khalid Azizi, a spokesman for the KDPI, described Mahmoudzadeh as a well-known party member and retired peshmerga fighter.” CNN said an American was killed by an Iranian rocket attack – the death was acknowledged by Washington.
-A woman, identified by sources as Hajar Karimi or as Hajer Zarka or Hajer Zrkar, in Al-Zanani, was reportedly killed during the Iranian shellings of the KDPI headquarters in Koya.
-A young girl was allegedly killed in Koya area after being wounded during the attacks. @layan_h8 twitted that she was in first grade of primary school. Other sources said that Iranian shellings on a primary school led to several kids injured.
-near Koya, PDKI officials recorded a number of journalists wounded.
According to Rudaw and the New York Times, around 700 families were displaced by these attacks, many of them Iranian refugees living in a camp in the city of Koya. Another source said that “footage circulating on social media showed children screaming and running for shelter behind rocky outcroppings.“It was a quiet morning until the sound of bombing shook our house,” said Salar Ali, a 47-year-old farmer from Koysanjak. He immediately rushed to the school, where he was reunited with his 10-year-old son.” A UNHCR official added “We are extremely shocked and concerned that the attack has impacted refugee families. It also impacted a school where refugee students were present.”
SULAYMANIYAH
A number of people suffered from “minor injuries” in Zargwez area according to France 24. They were identified as Komala party members by Rudaw. A Komala member interviewed by HRW said that “Our office is in a residential area (…) We don’t have any military activities. The residents of the complex are all refugees from Iran who escaped.” He said that the party does not conduct military activities out of the office that was hit.“I was in the Komala office in Zargwezalla when a drone hit just behind us,” said Anwar Qobadi, another Komala member. Qobadi is also a refugee who told Human Rights Watch he left Iran in 2010 after suffering human rights abuses by Iranian authorities. He said that everyone in the Zargwezalla resident complex is a refugee.After the first drone hit behind their office, Qobadi and two colleagues fled the building. “One minute later a missile and another drone hit the office, and shrapnel hit my back,” he said. “My colleagues were injured too and the building was destroyed. Nobody was killed.”
Reuters, quoting local sources, added that “drone strikes targeted at least 10 bases of Iranian Kurds near Sulaymaniyah”, without further precisions regarding potential civilian casualties. Komala oppositon Party militant said that 10 drones landed in Zargwez area. an Agence France-Presse reporter in Zargwez, quoted by France 24, observed “white smoke rising from the bombed site and ambulances heading to the place, while residents were leaving their homes. He added that a female doctor from the party was treating the wounded with minor injuries at the site.” Sources reported damaged and destroyed buildings.
KIRKUK
In Altun Kupri district of Kirkuk governorate, headquarters of the Kurdistan Freedom Party were similarly bombed.
-Iraqi-Kurdish channel “K24” reported that 3 of its journalists were “seriously injured.” Another source said that a correspondent and a cameraman for the channel Kurdistan 24 were reportedly injured. The reporter was identified as “Soran Kamran”, and one source added that he was seriously injured while he was covering “the Iranian bombing of Kurdish party headquarters in Altun Kupri district”.
LOCATION UNKNOWN
-Rudaw on Twitter counted 7 people killed by Iranian strikes, and posted pictures of them including their names, without specifying where the incidents occurred. One of the alleged victims, pictured not wearing a military uniform, was identified as Zakrous Mouhsen.
The incident occured at approximately 10:30 am local time.
The victims were named as:
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (48) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (64) [ collapse]
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On September 28th, 2022, a pregnant woman identified as Rehan Kanaani reportedly died of her injuries following an Iranian airstrike. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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Iranian shelling reportedly led to the destruction of the Komala Party headquarters in Zarghwiz village, on September 28th 2022. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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Iranian shelling reportedly led to the destruction of the Komala Party headquarters in Zarghwiz village, on September 28th 2022. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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Iranian shelling reportedly led to the destruction of the Komala Party headquarters in Zarghwiz village, on September 28th 2022. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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Iranian shelling on September 28th 2022 in Koya district reportedly led to the displacement of a number of children and refugees. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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Iranian shelling on September 28th 2022 in Koya district reportedly led to the displacement of a number of children and refugees. Source: Iran Kurdistan in Arabic
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A militant of the Kurdistan Freedom Party was reportedly killed by Iranian shelling on September 28th, 2022. Source: Fanar Mahoud Tami
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Iranian Kurdistan in Arabic reported that militant Jenin Rehan Kanani was killed during the Iranian shelling in Iraqi Kurdistan on September 28th 2022.
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A picture including 3 militants and one woman - the source indicated that all of them were killed by Iranian shelling, on September 28th 2022, without further precisions. Source: Fanar Mahoud Tami
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Students taking shelter from Iranian shelling on September 28th, 2022 in Koya district. Source: Fanar Mahoud Tami
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Students taking shelter from Iranian shelling on September 28th, 2022 in Koya district. Source: Fanar Mahoud Tami
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Soran Karim, reporter, was reportedly seriously injured during Iranian shelling on September 28th, 2022. Source: Al Sulaminia
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Iranian bombing of Koya district on September 28th, 2022. Source: Al Sulaminia
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Abdulwahab talabani reported a number of people killed and injured by Iranian shelling on September 28th 2022 in Koya district. Source: Abdulwahab talabani
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A young boy identified as Anyar Rahimi, reportedly killed by Iranian shelling on September 28th, 2022, carried by his father. Source: Penus
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Alleged Iranian shelling targeting Koysinjak areas on September 28th 2022. Photo: @NEWSDailyArabic
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Alleged Iranian shelling targeting Koysinjak areas on September 28th 2022. Photo: @NEWSDailyArabic
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Alleged Iranian shelling targeting Koysinjak areas on September 28th 2022. Photo: @NEWSDailyArabic
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On September 28th 2022, an Americain civilian was allegedly killed by Iranian shellings in various areas in Koya district. Photo:@KhaderTai
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Alleged damage on buildings in Koya district following Iranian bombings on September 28th 2022. Photo: @kurdpa_farsi
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Alleged damage on buildings in Koya district following Iranian bombings on September 28th 2022. Photo: @kurdpa_farsi
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Alleged damage on buildings in Koya district following Iranian bombings on September 28th 2022. Photo: @kurdpa_farsi
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Alleged damage on buildings in Koya district following Iranian bombings on September 28th 2022. Photo: @kurdpa_farsi
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A woman identified as Hajar Karimi was reportedly killed during Iranian strikes on Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran headquarters in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: @HengawO
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This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A young girl was allegedly killed during Iranian airstrikes on a primary school on September 28th 2022. Photo: @HengawO -
This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.
A child being treated by doctors following reported Iranian strikes on a primary school in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: @chawshin_83 -
A soldier described as Alton Kobri being transported to Rojava hospital after being injured in reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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A soldier described as Alton Kobri being transported to Rojava hospital after being injured in reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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A soldier described as Alton Kobri being transported to Rojava hospital after being injured in reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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A soldier described as Alton Kobri being transported to Rojava hospital after being injured in reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Picture of damaged headquarters of Iranian Kurdistan parties following reported Iranian airstrikes in Koya district on September 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw arabia
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Pictures of 7 victims of reported Iranian strikes on September 28th 2022, according to Rudaw Arabic. Names from names from top-left to down-right Milad Bour Saheb Rihana Kan'ani Hajer Zrkar Zakrous Mouhsen Mohammed Khalili Mam Zana Shirko Bartni. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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The father of a child identified as Wanyar, reportedly killed during Iranian strikes, carrying his son's body. Photo: @rudaw_arabic
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Smoke from the Iraqi Kurdistan headquarters of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, after reported Iranian strikes on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq September 28, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Ako Rasheed
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Komala Party Fighters in Zargwez also reported 10 Iranian drones hitting their buildings. Photo: AOAV/EPA
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Komala Party Fighters in Zargwez also reported 10 Iranian drones hitting their buildings. Photo: AOAV/EPA
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An alleged Iranian plane following reported Iranian bombings in Iraqi Kurdistan on September 28th 2022 . Photo: Buhar news
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"A wounded man is transported to a hospital following an attack on the village of Altun Kupri, south of the regional capital of Erbil in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, September 28, 2022." Photo: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/GETTY /CBS News
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"Kurdish fighters walk to inspect the damage following an Iranian cross-border attack in the area of Zargwez, where several exiled left-wing Iranian Kurdish parties maintain offices, near the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyeh, September 28, 2022." Photo:AFP VIA GETTY/ CBS News
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Picture of the pregnant woman reportedly killed during Iranian strikes on September 28th 2022 in Erbil. Photo: @ShukriyaBradost
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Locations of the reported Iranian strikes on September 28th 2022. Photo: Seth Frantzman
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"Iran drone footage of the attack in Koya". Photo: Seth Frantzman
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Destruction following reported Iranian strikes on September 28th 2022 in Iraqi Kurdistan. Photo: ANF News
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Smokes following reported Iranian shellings in Iraqi Kurdistan on Sept 28th 2022. Photo: Rudaw
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Pictures of the infant and the pregnant woman reportedly killed following Iranian strikes in Koya area on September 28th 2022. Photo:Kareem Botane
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Tombs of the pregnant woman and her infant killed by reported Iranian strikes in Koya. Photo: Kareem Botane
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the town of Koya (كويسنجق), the village of Zargwez (زرغوز), and the town of Altun Kupri (التون كوبري). The generic coordinates for Koya are: 36.079082, 44.630527. The generic coordinates for Zargwez are: 35.387466, 45.480366. The generic coordinates for Altun Kupri are: 35.754771, 44.142924. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the locations further.
Iranian Military Assessment:
Summary
Sources (48) [ collapse]
Geolocation
Airwars assessment
At least one civilian was killed and up to four others were injured, including women and children, when a Turkish airplane or drone launched strikes on a home in Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. Some local sources indicate that a member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was also killed in the incident.
Hawar News reported that a citizen was killed when Turkish forces bombed his house in Makhmour camp. Hawar quoted Roj News Agency who reported that Afzat Abdullah, a father of six children, died after he was injured by a Turkish drone attack on his home in the afternoon. Rudaw News provided similar details of one casualty in addition to material damages.
BasNews reported that four people were injured by the Turkish drone strike on the camp, adding that the camp is controlled by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). A Facebook post by Bakuk Judy indicated that women and children were among the wounded.
A source told Shafaq News Agency that “according to preliminary information, the house was in which members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party were present, and that the bombing caused injuries” but did not specify whether those injured were members of the PKK.
Darka Mazi also reported that the strike hit “the house of a leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Makhmour camp, called “Abu Zaid,” which resulted in his death”. According to a local source, “the site that was targeted is known as the fourth district” and that “these organizations held official funeral ceremonies for this person, as his coffin was decorated with pictures of the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and the flags of the PKK and its KGK organization.” It is unclear if “Abu Zaid” is the same person as the alleged civilian Afzat Abdullah who was killed.
All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strike to a Turkish plane or drone.
The incident occured at 12:40:00 local time.
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (9) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]
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Strikes on Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. (Image posted by Hawar News)
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Strikes on Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
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Remnants of the strike on Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. (Image posted by Shafaq News)
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Remnants of the strike on Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. (Image posted by Shafaq News)
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Men inspect the site of strike on Makhmour camp on August 29, 2022. (Image posted by Shafaq News)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention a strike on a house in the Makhmour refugee camp (مخيم مخمور), the generic coordinates for which are: 35.755637, 43.603063. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.