Research

All major publications from Airwars’ documentation, research, investigations and policy teams

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35 posts
14 Jul, 2023
Policy

United Nations urges states to support casualty recording

Breakthrough report directly links casualty recording and human rights obligations
1 Feb, 2023
Policy, Research
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen

US airstrikes fell to historic low in 2022, despite fresh operations

The overall number of declared US airstrikes across all monitored military theatres fell from 441 in 2021 to a minimum of 36 in 2022
20 Sep, 2022
Investigations
Syria

ISIS breakout at US-backed prison followed years of warnings

Documentary with VICE investigates
12 Jan, 2022
Update

Key changes in Airwars governance announced

Elizabeth Minor, the longstanding voluntary Chair of Airwars, has sadly stepped down due to ill health, the organisation’s Board has announced. Since joining the Airwars Board in summer 2016, Elizabeth has been a critical driver of the organisation’s many successes. A leading conflict casualty recording expert, Elizabeth was a key contributor to Every Casualty Counts’ […]
12 Oct, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

New UK Foreign Secretary must learn lessons of past and be accountable for UK military actions abroad

Last week marked 20 years since the US-led ‘War on Terror’ began. The conflict has been defined by a series of major military actions in which the UK has supported the US and allies in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The recent chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan saw the reshuffle of Dominic Raab from the Foreign, Commonwealth […]
30 Sep, 2021
Research
Syria

After six years of Russian airstrikes in Syria, still no accountability for civilian deaths

To mark the sixth anniversary of Russia’s military intervention in Syria, Airwars is highlighting just five of the countless civilian harm events that characterise Russian involvement in the conflict. Overall since 2015, we have identified 4,615 incidents where Russia is alleged to have caused civilian deaths or injuries. This September alone, we estimate that ten […]
18 Aug, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Pentagon revelations increase pressure on European militaries to acknowledge killing civilians

When the Department of Defense withdrew a key part of its annual report on civilian harm earlier this month, it all but confirmed something long suspected – that France, Britain and Belgium know they likely killed civilians in Iraq and Syria in specific events, but refuse publicly to accept it. The original Pentagon report to Congress, […]
8 Apr, 2021
Policy
Yemen

Mwatana blasts CENTCOM silence on civilians killed in Yemen

The Yemeni human rights group Mwatana has accused US Central Command of being “very disrespectful to victims”, after it emerged that CENTCOM has still not publicly responded to a major investigation into civilians killed by US airstrikes and ground raids. Given five months’ advance notice of the findings of the investigation, which comprehensively detailed the […]
18 Mar, 2021
Investigations
Libya

Ten years after the Libyan revolution, victims wait for justice

NATO members still refuse to discuss potential civilian harm from their strikes a decade after intervening against Gaddafi.
7 Dec, 2020
Research

Airwars Bi-monthly assessment – September & October 2020

Major Conflict Monitoring The months of September and October 2020 saw a flurry of activity from Airwars. Starting with the launch of new interactive mapping of reported civilian harm during the recent siege of Tripoli; through to our major joint report with PAX examining the civilian impact of the use of explosive weapons in cities; […]
18 Nov, 2020
Investigations, Policy
Iraq, Syria

The Credibles: How Airwars secured the most comprehensive locational data on civilian harm ever released by the US military

The release is a major breakthrough in transparency and could help Iraqis and Syrians finally secure apologies and even reparations for the death of family members
29 Oct, 2020
Policy
Iraq

“Some families were completely wiped out”: The Mayor of Hawijah speaks out

On the night of June 2nd to June 3rd 2015, Dutch F-16s bombed an ISIS Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosives Devices (VBIED) factory in the city of Hawijah, in Iraq’s Kirkuk province. Secondary explosions triggered by the airstrike killed at least 70 civilians and wounded hundreds more. Today, the city of Hawijah is still recovering – not […]
28 Oct, 2020
Report, Research
Yemen

Trump in Yemen: New Airwars study shines light on opaque campaign

A new Airwars investigation into the ongoing US counterterrorism campaign in Yemen has identified at least 86 civilians likely killed by US actions during Donald Trump’s presidency – though the US military has admitted to no more than a dozen deaths. Eroding Transparency, researched and written by Mohammed al-Jumaily and Edward Ray, examines US air […]
2 Oct, 2020
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Belgian airstrikes and the myth of zero civilian casualties

On October 1st, Belgium once again sent its F-16s to participate in Operation Inherent Resolve, fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Yet the Belgian, Iraqi and Syrian publics are still kept in the dark when it comes to civilian harm during previous deployments. The Belgian military to this day refuses to take responsibility for civilians […]
30 Sep, 2020
Update
Syria

Syria’s civilians pay high price for years of foreign military interventions

In 1996, the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was asked by reporter Lesley Stahl about sanctions against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq: “We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?” Stahl asked. The Secretary of State responded: […]
30 Sep, 2020
Policy
Iraq, Syria

On eve of Belgium’s return to war on ISIS, groups call for improved civilian harm accountability

On October 1st 2020, Belgium will send four F-16s to Iraq and Northeast Syria for a period of 12 months, to once again participate in Operation Inherent Resolve – the international campaign against so-called Islamic State. Yet Belgium has been one of the least transparent countries in the Coalition, refusing publicly to concede any civilian harm […]
14 Sep, 2020
Research
Libya

The siege of Tripoli: visualising a year of violence

Two months after the brutal siege of Libya’s capital ended, new interactive Airwars mapping shows the impact of 14 months of fighting between two rival governments on the city’s beleaguered civilians. Airwars has visualised every allegation of civilian harm from air and artillery strikes during the period of war in and around Tripoli between April […]
7 Jul, 2020
Policy
Iraq

Dutch defence minister announces fresh transparency moves

The Dutch Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, has reported to Parliament on the latest progress made by the Government in improving transparency regarding civilian harm as a result of Dutch military actions. Coupled with other steps taken in the months after the Hawijah scandal, the Netherlands appears slowly to be shedding its reputation as one […]
22 Jun, 2020
Update
Syria

Ongoing ceasefire between Russia and Turkey brings respite for Syrian civilians

Civilians are continuing to benefit from a months-long ceasefire in northern Syria, which has seen casualty numbers sharply fall to levels last seen in the early months of the civil war. Experts remain divided however, on how long this pause in fighting will last – and what it means for Syria and its divided people. […]
5 Jun, 2020
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – April 2020

Conflict in Libya ramps up as sense of calm presides over Syria and Iraq.
26 May, 2020
Update
Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria

Marking UN Protection of Civilians Week, Airwars and Rectangle livecast names of thousands harmed in recent wars

Airwars and design partners Rectangle are commemorating those civilians killed and injured in conflicts, by livestreaming over 24 hours the names of 8,337 civilian casualties the international monitor has documented in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Somalia in recent years. The digital event marks the occasion of the UN’s 2020 Protection of Civilians Week. Every name […]
5 May, 2020
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – March 2020

Fighting grinds to a halt in Idlib following ceasefire, but civilian harm incidents reported in other parts of Syria, Libya and Somalia.
16 Apr, 2020
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – February 2020

February 2020 saw up to 226 civilians killed in Syria as a result of Russian airstrikes and 404 more injured - as the regime continued to push through Idlib and Aleppo.
24 Mar, 2020
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – January 2020

January 2020 saw a 15% rise in Russia civilian harm events as the regime and its ally pounded rebel-held territory in Idlib and Aleppo.
23 Mar, 2020
Policy, Update
Iraq, Syria

Newly released documents reveal Dutch knew about possible high risk to civilians at Hawijah

Newly declassified documents released by the Dutch Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and the Netherlands Public Prosecutor’s Office, have revealed a number of disturbing facts about Dutch airstrikes on Hawijah and Mosul in 2015 which killed dozens of civilians. The previously secret documents show, for example, that the Dutch military official with a potential […]
A March 2017 airstrike during the battle for Mosul against Islamic State. While the US-led Coalition has admitted almost 1,400 civilian deaths during the war, European allies have remained almost silent about their own responsibility. (Via Reuters/ Alaa Al-Marjani)
15 Mar, 2020
Investigations, Policy
Iraq, Syria

Europe’s shame: Claims by key allies of no civilian harm in war against ISIS exposed

Key European allies are denying dozens of civilian deaths from their own actions - even where the US-led Coalition finds such cases to be credible.
11 Feb, 2020
Policy
Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Türkiye, Yemen

Airwars annual report: over 2,200 civilians claimed killed in 2019

Airwars research shows that at least 2,214 civilians were locally alleged killed by international military actions across Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Somalia during 2019 – a 42% decrease in minimum claimed deaths on the previous year. This sharp fall was largely because deaths from reported US-led Coalition actions plummeted following the territorial defeat of ISIS […]
10 Dec, 2019
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – October 2019

More than 200 civilians were locally alleged killed by Turkish and Kurdish military actions in Syria during October. Civilian deaths were also significantly up in Libya.
29 Nov, 2019
Policy
Iraq

Dutch Ministry of Defence promises significant transparency changes

The Dutch government is promising to introduce transparency improvements for conflict-related civilian harm resulting from its military actions. The announcement came on November 25th, in the wake of an ongoing national scandal, following the withholding for more than four years of details of Dutch involvement in an airstrike on Hawijah, Iraq, on the night of […]
7 Aug, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

Five years of war and ISIS is defeated as a territorial entity – but civilian deaths remain largely uncounted

The fifth anniversary of the international war against so-called Islamic State has seen the total defeat of the terrorist group as a territorial entity in both Iraq and Syria. Now degraded to insurgency, the US and its allies try to contain the jihadist organisation. However, after five years of fighting the cost to civilians on […]