Research

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

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306 posts
10 May, 2019
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – March 2019

Conflict monitoring After 56 months of war, March finally saw the defeat of ISIS as a territorial entity when the town of Al Baghouz in Deir Ezzor governorate fell to Coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on March 23rd. However, this final intense month of fighting came at what appeared to be significant cost to civilians on […]
1 May, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

France’s war without accountability

On May 16th 2017, Sajid Ahmed Sajid and his brother Amer Ahmad Sajid, two men in their fifties and each with a salt and pepper beard, were killed by a bomb that struck their house in the well-to-do neighbourhood of Al-Najjar in West Mosul, according to locals and local media. The Coalition’s public account of […]
25 Apr, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

At least 1,600 civilians died in US-led Coalition actions at Raqqa, major new study finds

A major new study by Amnesty International and Airwars has concluded that at least 1,600 civilians died in Coalition strikes on the city of Raqqa in 2017 during the battle to evict so-called Islamic State – ten times the number of fatalities so far conceded by the US-led alliance, which had admitted 159 deaths to […]
8 Apr, 2019
Research

Airwars monthtly assessment – February 2019

Conflict monitoring During February, civilian harm claims against the US-led Coalition in Syria continued to be a major problem. The month saw several alarming large-scale casualty incidents in the town of Baghouz – the last territorial holdout in Syria for so-called Islamic State (ISIS) – meaning that the likely death toll from Coalition actions in […]
4 Mar, 2019
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – January 2019

Conflict monitoring In January 2019, the noose further tightened around ISIS in the last remaining scraps of territory it held in Syria’s Deir Ezzor governorate. By February 5th, there were an it was claimewd as few as 1,000 fighters in ISIS’s stronghold within a 20-sqaure-mile area near the southern Euphrates Rivers and the Iraqi border, […]
5 Feb, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

New Airwars project to examine US media coverage of civilian harm in war against ISIS

Hundreds of journalists will be canvassed for their views on recent conflict casualty reporting by the US media as part of a major new project by Airwars. The six month study—funded by the Reva and David Logan Foundation in the US, and the J Leon Philanthropy Council in the UK—aims to help assess and improve […]
31 Jan, 2019
Research

Airwars annual assessment 2018

Despite significant falls in both strike numbers and reported casualties, civilians still remained at risk in the three conflict-affected nations presently monitored by Airwars. In total, as many as 5,947 non combatants were locally alleged killed by international military actions across Syria, Iraq and Libya during 2018. In Libya reported airstrikes were down by a […]
10 Jan, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

Time for proper accountability now that Dutch aircraft and military personnel are home

On December 31st 2018, the participation of Netherlands F-16s in the international fight against so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria came to an agreed end, after almost four years of airstrikes. Despite conducting precision airstrikes, the Coalition has not always been successful in preventing civilian casualties – with the alliance overall admitting at […]
4 Jan, 2019
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – November 2018

Conflict monitoring In November, Airwars tracked the highest reported civilian death toll from alleged Coalition actions since the fall of Raqqa in October 2017. As the terrorist group clung on to a handful of villages in Deir Ezzor and the Hajin campaign rolled into its third month, Coalition actions rose by 32% on October with […]
5 Dec, 2018
Update
Libya

US strike kills up to eleven civilians in Libya’s south, locals say

Local reports indicate that up to eleven civilians have been killed in a US precision strike near Al Uwaynat, in the extreme south of Libya close to the Algerian border on November 29th. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed conducting the strike, originally stating that it had targeted fighters from a regional Al […]
30 Nov, 2018
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – October 2018

Conflict monitoring Airwars tracked no locally reported claims of civilian harm in Syria from Russian actions during October – the first such month since Moscow first intervened three years previously. US-led Coalition strikes against ISIS continued however, with a significant and troubling rise in reported civilian harm in eastern Syria. October saw a near tripling […]
30 Nov, 2018
Update

Airwars monthly assessment – October 2018

Reported civilian harm from Coalition actions reaches highest level since the battle of Raqqa - while for the first time Airwars monitored no civilian casualty claims from Russian strikes.
7 Nov, 2018
Research

Airwars monthly assessment – September 2018

Conflict monitoring In September 2018, civilian harm remained at low levels from both international and domestic belligerents in the three conflict areas which Airwars presently monitors. Eight civilian harm events were attributed the US-led Coalition in Syria – the same number as in the previous month. While events reportedly involving Russia in Syria rose steeply, […]
7 Nov, 2018
Update

Airwars monthly assessment – September 2018

Up to 45 civilians were locally alleged killed by Russian airstrikes in Syria during September - with as many as 17 non combatants also claimed killed by US-led Coalition actions.
18 Oct, 2018
Update

Airwars monthly assessment: August 2018

Reported civilian harm in August from both Russian and Coalition actions were at their lowest levels for years, Airwars monitoring shows.
18 Oct, 2018
Research

Airwars monthly assessment: August 2018

Reported civilian harm in August from both Russian and Coalition actions were at their lowest levels for years, Airwars monitoring shows.
24 Sep, 2018
Update

Report: Airwars urges UK to improve accountability for civilian harm in Battles of Mosul and Raqqa

Despite being the most transparent among anti-ISIS Coalition members, non-admission of urban civilian casualties by UK is deemed unrealistic in new parliamentary report.
24 Sep, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Report: Airwars urges UK to improve accountability for civilian harm in Battles of Mosul and Raqqa

Despite being the most transparent among anti-ISIS Coalition members, non-admission of urban civilian casualties by UK is deemed unrealistic in new parliamentary report.
10 Sep, 2018
Update

Russia’s three years of war in Syria brings victory close for regime

Moscow's intervention in Syria - its most successful military adventure in decades - looks poised to restore the Assad government. Thousands of civilians have died in the process.
10 Sep, 2018
Update
Syria

Russia’s three years of war in Syria brings victory close for regime

Moscow's intervention in Syria - its most successful military adventure in decades - looks poised to restore the Assad government. Thousands of civilians have died in the process.
29 Aug, 2018
Research

Airwars monthly assessment: July 2018

Overall, more than 3,700 civilians have been alleged killed in international military actions in Syria so far this year.
29 Aug, 2018
Update

Airwars monthly assessment: July 2018

Overall, more than 3,700 civilians have been alleged killed in international military actions in Syria so far this year.
8 Aug, 2018
Update

Four years of war and ISIS is almost defeated – but at what cost?

The fourth anniversary of the international war against ISIS sees the terror group almost defeated - though many thousands of civilians have died in the heavy fighting.
8 Aug, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Four years of war and ISIS is almost defeated – but at what cost?

The fourth anniversary of the international war against ISIS sees the terror group almost defeated - though many thousands of civilians have died in the heavy fighting.
27 Jul, 2018
Update
Libya

Sirte: The last days of ISIS’s Libya stronghold

So-called Islamic State was ousted from the Libyan city of Sirte in late 2016 by joint US and Government of National Accord forces. Using materials uncovered as part of a major new project tracking airstrikes and civilian harm in Libya, Airwars recounts the rise and fall of the terror organization through the eyes of local […]
25 Jul, 2018
Research

Airwars six monthly assessment: January-June 2018

Reported civilian deaths from Russian actions were up by a third in Syria during the first six months of 2018. While claims against the Coalition were sharply down, several hundred civilians were still likely killed by the US-led alliance.
25 Jul, 2018
Update

Airwars six monthly assessment: January-June 2018

Reported civilian deaths from Russian actions were up by a third in Syria during the first six months of 2018. While claims against the Coalition were sharply down, several hundred civilians were still likely killed by the US-led alliance.
12 Jul, 2018
Update

Airwars monthly assessment: May 2018

Coalition-attributed civilian casualties in Syria were up during May, while those blamed on Russia were sharply down.
12 Jul, 2018
Research

Airwars monthly assessment: May 2018

Coalition-attributed civilian casualties in Syria were up during May, while those blamed on Russia were sharply down.
5 Jul, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

‘That’s just how we do it.’ Minister upholds court’s decision not to identify Dutch civilian harm events

Despite cross party calls for greater disclosure, the Defence Minister confirmed that no further details of four events will be released.