Research

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

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240 posts
10 Oct, 2016
Update

Airwars boosts its monitoring, reporting and advocacy team

Responding to a steep rise in reported civilian deaths from both Coalition and Russian airstrikes in 2016, Airwars has appointed three new full-time postholders who will help with the organisation’s monitoring, reporting and advocacy work. The trio are New York based investigative reporter Samuel Oakford; UK-based Syria researcher Abdulwahab Tahhan; and Eline Westra, an Amsterdam-based […]
10 Oct, 2016
Update

Airwars boosts its monitoring, reporting and advocacy team

Responding to a steep rise in reported civilian deaths from both Coalition and Russian airstrikes in 2016, Airwars has appointed three new full-time postholders who will help with the organisation’s monitoring, reporting and advocacy work. The trio are New York based investigative reporter Samuel Oakford; UK-based Syria researcher Abdulwahab Tahhan; and Eline Westra, an Amsterdam-based […]
29 Sep, 2016
Update

A year of Russian airstrikes leaves thousands dead

Russia is marking the first year of a bombing campaign in Syria with some of its deadliest strikes yet, leaving hundreds of civilian casualties in just the past week in besieged Eastern Aleppo – and effectively scuttling diplomatic efforts to pause the war. According to local monitors more than 3,000 civilians have so far been […]
29 Sep, 2016
Update

A year of Russian airstrikes leaves thousands dead

Russia is marking the first year of a bombing campaign in Syria with some of its deadliest strikes yet, leaving hundreds of civilian casualties in just the past week in besieged Eastern Aleppo – and effectively scuttling diplomatic efforts to pause the war. According to local monitors more than 3,000 civilians have so far been […]
26 Sep, 2016
Research

Reported civilian casualties from Russian airstrikes in Syria: January 2016

Between January 1st and 31st 2016, a total of 177 reported civilian casualty incidents in Syria allegedly involving Russian aircraft have been tracked by our researchers. These allege between them an overall total of between 1,006 and 1,410 non-combatant deaths. Each event is individually recorded in our new 50,000-word public database for January 2016. Claims […]
26 Sep, 2016
Update

Reported civilian casualties from Russian airstrikes in Syria: January 2016

Additional research by Kinda Haddad, F.F. Khalil, Christiaan Triebert and Chris Woods Between January 1st and 31st 2016, a total of 177 reported civilian casualty incidents in Syria allegedly involving Russian aircraft have been tracked by our researchers. These allege between them an overall total of between 1,006 and 1,410 non-combatant deaths. Each event is […]
23 Sep, 2016
Research

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: August 2016

August saw the second anniversary of the war against so-called Islamic State, with the terrorist group losing significant ground on multiple fronts. The Coalition campaign to liberate Manbij in Aleppo concluded with Daesh being driven out of the northern Syrian town. This led to a steep drop in Coalition airstrikes and reported civilian casualty events, […]
23 Sep, 2016
Update

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: August 2016

Additional research by Kinda Haddad, Latif Habib, Abdulwahab Tahhan, Ziad Freeman, Basile Simon, Christiaan Triebert and Chris Woods August saw the second anniversary of the war against so-called Islamic State, with the terrorist group losing significant ground on multiple fronts. The Coalition campaign to liberate Manbij in Aleppo concluded with Daesh being driven out of […]
22 Aug, 2016
Research

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: July 2016

In July the Coalition campaign to liberate the northern Syrian town of Manbij in Aleppo built towards a fierce conclusion. Daesh continued to lose ground, but the effect on civilian casualties was significant. We tracked the greatest number of alleged deaths and incidents in any given month since the war began two years ago – […]
22 Aug, 2016
Update

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: July 2016

Additional research by Kinda Haddad, Latif Habib, Abdulwahab Tahhan, Ziad Freeman, Basile Simon, Christiaan Triebert and Chris Woods In July the Coalition campaign to liberate the northern Syrian town of Manbij in Aleppo built towards a fierce conclusion. Daesh continued to lose ground, but the effect on civilian casualties was significant. We tracked the greatest […]
17 Jun, 2016
Update

International airstrikes and civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria: December 2015 to May 2016

Additional reporting by Kinda Haddad, Latif Habib and Chris Woods Airwars monthly reports on international airstrikes and alleged civilian casualties across both Iraq and Syria will resume for June . Here we present our summary findings for December 2015 to May 2016. Major Coalition military developments From December 1st 2015 to the end of May […]
17 Jun, 2016
Research

International airstrikes and civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria: December 2015 to May 2016

Airwars monthly reports on international airstrikes and alleged civilian casualties across both Iraq and Syria will resume for June . Here we present our summary findings for December 2015 to May 2016. Major Coalition military developments From December 1st 2015 to the end of May 2016, there were 4,087 reported Coalition airstrikes against Daesh: a […]
19 Oct, 2015
Update

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: September 2015

Casualty research by Latif Habib and Kinda Haddad Major developments US-led Coalition strikes allegedly killed as many as 276 civilians in up to 25 problem events in Iraq and Syria in September 2015 In twelve of these events, there appears enough credible evidence  – coupled with confirmation of allied airstrikes in the vicinity – to […]
19 Oct, 2015
Research

International airstrikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: September 2015

Major developments US-led Coalition strikes allegedly killed as many as 276 civilians in up to 25 problem events in Iraq and Syria in September 2015 In twelve of these events, there appears enough credible evidence  – coupled with confirmation of allied airstrikes in the vicinity – to suggest that a minimum of 86 civilians were […]
30 Sep, 2015
Update

‘Not one civilian killed’: UK insists Iraq airstrikes are perfect after first year of bombing

British manned and unmanned aicraft have carried out at least 324 airstrikes against Islamic State in their first year of operations, according to an Airwars assessment of Ministry of Defence reports. The attacks – second only to the United States in number – have killed hundreds of Daesh fighters, the MoD says. Officials also insist […]
30 Sep, 2015
Update

‘Not one civilian killed’: UK insists Iraq airstrikes are perfect after first year of bombing

British manned and unmanned aicraft have carried out at least 324 airstrikes against Islamic State in their first year of operations, according to an Airwars assessment of Ministry of Defence reports. The attacks – second only to the United States in number – have killed hundreds of Daesh fighters, the MoD says. Officials also insist […]
10 Jul, 2015
Update

Coalition strikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: July 3rd-10th 2015

ABOVE: Burnt out wreckage of a car carrying seven alleged Al Nusra Front members, destroyed in a US targeted strike in Syria July 8 2015 (via SNN) Additional reporting by Basile Simon, Kinda Haddad and Latif Habib. Major Developments Casualty recorders publish the name of a 200th alleged victim of coalition airstrikes in Syria. In Iraq, […]
10 Jul, 2015
Research

Coalition strikes and civilian casualty claims in Iraq and Syria: July 3rd-10th 2015

ABOVE: Burnt out wreckage of a car carrying seven alleged Al Nusra Front members, destroyed in a US targeted strike in Syria July 8 2015 (via SNN) Additional reporting by Basile Simon, Kinda Haddad and Latif Habib. Major Developments Casualty recorders publish the name of a 200th alleged victim of coalition airstrikes in Syria. In Iraq, […]
4 Jul, 2015
Update

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 26th – July 3rd 2015

ABOVE: A bomb-laden Belgian F-16 prepares for a mission in Iraq, December 2014 (Belgian MoD)   Major Developments Belgium announces it has ended its military role in the coalition, withdrawing its F-16s after approximately 41 airstrikes 13 fresh problem events are reported for June in both Iraq and Syria, involving multiple civilian deaths allegedly caused by […]
4 Jul, 2015
Research

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 26th – July 3rd 2015

ABOVE: A bomb-laden Belgian F-16 prepares for a mission in Iraq, December 2014 (Belgian MoD)   Major Developments Belgium announces it has ended its military role in the coalition, withdrawing its F-16s after approximately 41 airstrikes 13 fresh problem events are reported for June in both Iraq and Syria, involving multiple civilian deaths allegedly caused by […]
23 Jun, 2015
Research

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 19th-26th 2015

ABOVE: Delegates at the 29th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, June 22 2015, heard calls for coalition members to promptly investigate reports of civilian casualties (UN) Major Developments The coalition ends its 46th week of bombings having carried out 141 airstrikes on Islamic State. New UN report calls on international coalition […]
23 Jun, 2015
Update

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 19th-26th 2015

ABOVE: Delegates at the 29th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, June 22 2015, heard calls for coalition members to promptly investigate reports of civilian casualties (UN) Major Developments The coalition ends its 46th week of bombings having carried out 141 airstrikes on Islamic State. New UN report calls on international coalition […]
21 Jun, 2015
Research

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 12th-19th 2015

ABOVE: Residents of Tal Abyad region flee the fighting between Islamic State and YPG Kurds, June  2015 (SNN) Major Developments Coalition ends 45th week of bombings having carried out 4,673 airstrikes on Islamic State At least 6 and as many as 20 civilians were reported killed in a series of coalition airstrikes on June 13th, in support of […]
21 Jun, 2015
Update

Coalition airstrikes and reported casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 12th-19th 2015

ABOVE: Residents of Tal Abyad region flee the fighting between Islamic State and YPG Kurds, June  2015 (SNN) Major Developments Coalition ends 45th week of bombings having carried out 4,673 airstrikes on Islamic State At least 6 and as many as 20 civilians were reported killed in a series of coalition airstrikes on June 13th, in support of […]
14 Jun, 2015
Research

Coalition airstrikes and casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 5th-June 12th 2015

ABOVE: Dutch MPs visit an Air Task Force facility, June 5 2015 (Dutch MoD) Major Developments New figures show coalition has now dropped more than 15,000 bombs and missiles on Iraq and Syria, in more than 4,500 airstrikes There were four new incidents reported in which it was claimed coalition aircraft may have caused civilian or […]
14 Jun, 2015
Update

Coalition airstrikes and casualties in Iraq and Syria: June 5th-June 12th 2015

ABOVE: Dutch MPs visit an Air Task Force facility, June 5 2015 (Dutch MoD) Major Developments New figures show coalition has now dropped more than 15,000 bombs and missiles on Iraq and Syria, in more than 4,500 airstrikes There were four new incidents reported in which it was claimed coalition aircraft may have caused civilian or […]
28 May, 2015
Update

How Guardian investigated death of Iraqi family in likely coalition airstrike

Was lethal airstrike at Fadhiliya, Iraq aimed at Islamic State attacks in vicinity of nearby Canadian troops? Library image shows personnel departing for Iraq, November 2014 (Canadian MoD/ Cpl LS Eduardo Jorge) Nine months and 4,000 airstrikes into the international coalition’s air war against Islamic State, the US-led alliance has to date only conceded the “likely” non-combatant deaths of two […]
28 May, 2015
Update

How Guardian investigated death of Iraqi family in likely coalition airstrike

Was lethal airstrike at Fadhiliya, Iraq aimed at Islamic State attacks in vicinity of nearby Canadian troops? Library image shows personnel departing for Iraq, November 2014 (Canadian MoD/ Cpl LS Eduardo Jorge) Nine months and 4,000 airstrikes into the international coalition’s air war against Islamic State, the US-led alliance has to date only conceded the “likely” non-combatant deaths of two […]
22 May, 2015
Update

Coalition airstrikes and casualties in Iraq and Syria: May 15th-May 22nd 2015

Major developments After nine months of strikes the coalition finally admits its actions have killed civilians – confirming the “likely” death of at least two children in Syria A last-minute spate of Coalition airstrikes fails to prevent Islamic State from over-running the crucial city of Ramadi in Iraq The 4,000th airstrike since operations began in August […]
22 May, 2015
Research

Coalition airstrikes and casualties in Iraq and Syria: May 15th-May 22nd 2015

Major developments After nine months of strikes the coalition finally admits its actions have killed civilians – confirming the “likely” death of at least two children in Syria A last-minute spate of Coalition airstrikes fails to prevent Islamic State from over-running the crucial city of Ramadi in Iraq The 4,000th airstrike since operations began in August […]