U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

In 2014 a U.S.-led coalition began a campaign of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria – officially known as Operation Inherent Resolve – following the capture of large swathes of the countries by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). An intense air and ground campaign drove ISIS out of almost all territory by 2018 but resulted in significant destruction and loss of life.

Airwars documented thousands of allegations of civilian harm from U.S.-led Coalition strikes and has conducted numerous major investigations and research papers on the topic.

Airwars estimate of civilian deaths

8,221 – 13,295

Locally reported civilian deaths from declared or likely U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by the U.S.-led Coalition. These originate from 2,984 separate alleged incidents.

1,725 – 2,367
children likely killed
1,123 – 1,464
women likely killed
5,905
likely injured
3,757
named victims

U.S.-led Coalition estimate of civilian deaths

1,454

Confirmed civilian deaths, from U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria, originating from 360 separate incidents of civilian harm.

402
civilians confirmed injured
Alleged deaths
19,183 – 29,762
Locally reported civilian deaths from U.S.-led Coalition actions in Iraq and Syria.
2,984 seperate alleged incidents
Confirmed or Fair
8,221 – 13,295
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by U.S.-led Coalition
1,538 seperate alleged incidents
Weak
2,391 – 2,815
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
434 seperate alleged incidents
Contested
7,870 – 12,564
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
778 seperate alleged incidents
Discounted
696 – 1,083
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
233 seperate alleged incidents

Civilian Casualty Incidents — U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq & Syria

Start Date

End Date

Strike Type

Causes of Death / Injury

Strike Status

Civilian Harm Status

Belligerent Assessment

Casualty

Infrastructure

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8863 incidents
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Incident DatePublication Date

Incident Code

CI022

Location

الموصل‎, Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq
In an event previously unreported by Airwars, an internal Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) reported “4 unknown persons potentially injured while moving into the engagement area,” during a Coalition airstrike on Objective Nebula, a targeted vehicle. France later confirmed that it had carried out a targeted strike in Mosul on that date, though it is not…

Summary

Published
16 December 2014
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Code

CI021

Location

الرمادي, Ramadi, Al Anbar, Iraq
In an event previously unreported by Airwars, Coalition reported an unspecified open source as publishing a picture of a dead child “without any identification of original location”. According to provisional analysis “There was one airstrike in Ramadi on 13 December (strike #1266) which was unlikely to have caused the death.” No further action was recorded…

Summary

Published
13 December 2014
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident
12 December 2014

Incident Code

CS034

Location

كشيش, Kashish, Al Hassakah, Syria
Two unnamed civilian males were reported by a single source to have been killed in a coalition airstrike on the village of Kashish,  

Summary

Published
12 December 2014
Civilians reported killed
2
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident
11 December 2014

Incident Code

CS033

Location

مسكنة, Jirah Military Airbase, al Maskana, Aleppo, Syria
A shepherd boy aged 10, 14 or 15, and named as Muhammad Qasim (or sometimes Mohammed Abd al Kareem), was reportedly killed in a coalition airstrike on a nearby Islamic State military base. An investigation by the Syrian Network for Human Rights later concluded: “Around 2:45 in the afternoon an international alliance warplane raided over…

Summary

Published
11 December 2014
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident

Incident Code

CI020

Location

الفلوجة‎, Fallujah, Al Anbar, Iraq
Up to 9 civilians were reported killed and 32 injured in what NINA described as a “coalition airstrike” on people queuing for fuel in the city. On the following day Al Jazeera, Rudaw, NINA and Mobtaba all described attacks on the districts of “Al Jolan north of the city, Nizal in the centre of the…

Summary

Published
9 December 2014
Civilians reported killed
8–9
Civilians reported injured
32
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident
2 December 2014

Incident Code

CS032

Location

المريعية, Marbaʼīyah, Deir Ezzor, Syria
Two civilian males, both residents of the village of Al-Mrey’iya, were reported by SOHR to have been killed in a coalition airstrike. They were named as Hassan Al Ali Al Zahiya and Moyyed Mohammad Al Assaf. The Committee for the Defence of Democracy, Freedoms and Human Rights also named the two men as civilians –…

Summary

Published
2 December 2014
Civilians reported killed
2
Military Actor
U.S.-led Coalition
View Incident