Investigation into suspected or alleged civilian casualties

New way of informing

In 2020, the House of Representatives agreed to a new way for the Ministry of Defence to inform the House of Representatives about its investigations. Since then, it is standard practice for the Ministry of Defence to inform the House of Representatives within a week after the start of a new investigation.

The Ministry of Defence then investigates the legitimacy of the weapon deployment, any possible errors in procedures and it aims to identify civilian casualties to the best of its ability.

Ongoing investigations

Mosul 2016

According to sources from the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation (NOS) and NRC, a Dutch newspaper, an airstrike by Dutch F-16s on a building in the Iraqi city of Mosul caused civilian casualties in 2016. According to the Global Coalition Against Daesh, an IS headquarters was located in the building. On 30 March 2023, the Ministry of Defence informed the House of Representatives that it had opened an investigation into the incident, based on this new information from NOS and NRC.

Completed investigations

Chora 2007

During the defence of the Chora valley during the Dutch mission in Afghanistan in 2007, several civilians and a Dutch soldier were killed. During the Battle of Chora, an Afghan residential complex (a quala), from which shots were fired at Dutch soldiers, was attacked. In 2022, the Dutch civil court ruled that the Dutch State could not sufficiently demonstrate that the residential complex had been a legitimate military objective. The State complies with the court's decision by paying compensation.

Hawija 2015

In 2015, part of the Iraqi city of Hawija was severely affected by secondary explosions of an unforeseen scale after a Dutch F-16 bombed an IS bomb factory, resulting in civilian casualties. On a voluntary basis, the Netherlands has since carried out reconstruction projects in Hawija.

Mosul 2015

On the night of 20-21 September 2015, an airstrike was carried out in Mosul against an alleged IS headquarters. Afterwards, the Netherlands was informed by CENTCOM that the target was later identified as a residential house, where civilians resided. Prior to the weapon deployment, there were no indications of incorrect information. In 2020, a survivor received voluntary compensation from the Ministry of Defence.

Independent research

With the help of the Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH), the Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD) is conducting independent research into 20 years of Dutch deployment in Afghanistan. The Battle of Chora, fought in 2007, is part of this study.

An independent investigation committee chaired by Ms Winnie Sorgdrager LLM is now examining how Dutch weapon deployment in Hawija in 2015 could result in civilian casualties. The committee is also looking into the lessons to be learned for the future.